Question: How do you know that Parmigiano-Reggiano and Le Gruyere are made from raw milk when they don’t actually say that on their labels?
Answer: They have to be made that way by law.
In Europe there are laws about how cheese is made and where it is made and what kind of milk is used and on and on. These laws lead to what are called “appellations” or certifications. It’s complicated because there are many countries in the European Union (28 including the UK) and the different languages mean different names for their appellations.
Some of these laws date back centuries. In France, for example the first cheese appellation was for Roguefort in 1411(!) Charles VI decreed that the people of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon had the sole right to call their cheese Roguefort.
Prior to that, anyone could make a cheese, call it a Roguefort and sell it as such. That seemed unfair to the cheesemakers who had been making the same cheese for generation after generation in the place where it was first created.
In 1925, France modernized it’s laws and developed it’s first official, national AOC designation (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée, which means Controlled Designation of Origin). Roguefort became the first cheese awarded AOC status and others soon followed.
The rules for Roguefort are very specific. In order to be awarded this designation:
1. All milk used must be delivered at least 20 days after lambing has taken place.
2. The sheep must be on pasture, whenever possible, in an area including most of Aveyron and parts of neighboring départements. At least 3⁄4 of any grain or fodder fed must come from the area.
3. The milk must be whole, raw (not heated above 34C (93F), and unfiltered except to remove macroscopic particles.
4. The addition of rennet must occur within 48 hours of milking.
5. The Penicillium roqueforti used in the production must be produced in France from the natural caves of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon.
6. The salting process must be performed using dry salt.
7. The whole process of maturation, cutting, packaging and refrigeration of the cheese must take place in the commune of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon. (Wikipedia)
All over Europe, countries developed their own, similar appellations with different names. For example, in Italy it was DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) and in Spain it was DO (Denominación de Origen). In Switzerland, it was the same as France – AOC (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée).
This is why there are so many different initials used to describe the appellations of different countries.
To make it even more complicated, there are often 2 categories of appellations where one certifies that everything, from the raw material to the processing and the final product, comes from one specific region and another which certifies that products are either manufactured, processed or prepared in a specific region.
All of these national appellations are still in effect, but, in 1992, the European Union (EU) began to coordinate the various appellations in order to better control the import and export of protected cheeses.
If a cheese was protected by an already existing appellation in it’s own country, that appellation remained as the predominant designation. However, when that same cheese acquired it’s additional protection from the EU, it had the benefit of the European Commission enforcing it’s laws.
Now there are 3 designations awarded by the EU – Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) and Traditional Speciality Guaranteed (TSG).
PDO status means the cheese is entirely made in a particular region of the country of origin.
PGI status indicates it is either sourced, made or aged in the region.
TSG status means that the traditional character of the cheese is maintained, either in the composition or means of production.
When you see the EU label now on cheeses, the words stand for the coveted national appellations. For example, in Italy, the PDO is called the DOP (Denominazione D’Origine Protetta) the PGI is called the IGP (Indicazione Geografica Protetta). Everything about the logo stays the same except the words:
In France, the original AOC appellation is now called the AOP (Appellation D’Origine Protegee):
Basically, all you need to see is the yellow logo to know the cheese is protected by the EU and governed by rules in it’s country of origin. (Sometimes the colors aren’t used but the logo is there.) You can see many of the protected cheeses listed at the end of this article.
If you have already looked at the list, you may have noticed that Switzerland is not there because it is not actually in the EU. It has it’s own appellations, previously AOC and now called AOP (Appellation d’Origine Protégée):
One of Switzerland’s cheeses, Gruyere became protected nationally with AOC/AOP certification in 2001. So, according to just a few of the rules:
1. It has to be made in in the cantons of Fribourg, Vaud, Neuchâtel, Jura, Berne (and several other districts) in Switzerland.
2. The cows must be fed solely on natural forage—fresh grass in summer and hay in winter, with no additives or ensilage.
3. The cheese has to be made with raw milk, delivered twice/day to the factory.
4. It has to be aged from 5-18 months in cellars with a climate close to that of a natural cave – the humidity should be between 94% and 98% and the temperature should be 55-57F.
If you count the 12 protected cheeses of Switzerland, there are a total of 201 cheeses with PDO status in the EU.
The appellations are taken very seriously. Just a few months ago, the European Commission announced it is taking Denmark to court because they have been permitting cheesemakers to call their cheese Feta and export it as such. Feta has PDO status, but this has been a contested issue since 2002. Germany, France and Denmark have wanted to claim Feta as their own but the courts have awarded Greece the honor. (Politico.eu, 11/27/19) (In other words, as it has been complained about and joked about – only Greece can use the F word!)
The U.K.
You might be wondering about the UK’s status now that it has withdrawn from the EU. As it stands now, the appellations will continue as they were. By mutual agreement, the UK’s cheeses will continue to be protected by the European Commission.
What about the United States?
We have our own appellations for wine here in the US, but not for cheese. However, the same import/export laws that apply to the members of the European Union apply to any country (like the US) which has a trade agreement with the EU. So, for example, the United States is in the same position that Germany, Denmark and France are in with regards to Feta – calling it “salad cheese” or “white cheese” when exporting it to European countries.
We do have our own US Standards of Identity for Dairy Products, maintained and enforced by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for 72 cheeses and cheese products. It’s nowhere near as restrictive as the EU regulations, but there are at least some guidelines for producers. Here’s the one for Gruyere:
You can look up the rules for each of the 72 cheeses at the FDA website – https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?CFRPart=133
If you’re curious about which cheeses are protected by the EU, here’s the most current list we could find: (Wikipedia, edited December, 2019)