LEGISLATIVE APPENDIX
NEW PRODUCTION STANDARD
(DECREE 19th September 2003 – Transitory Protection, art. 3)
1. The designation of origin «Provolone Valpadana» is reserved for the medium hard stretched-curd cheese produced with cow whole milk, at natural fermentation acidity that, in the sweet typology, can be subject to a thermal treatment of pasteurization and, in the spicy typology, to the thermization treatment, coming from cows raised exclusively in the production area referred to as art. 2, obtained in compliance of the technological process and in conformity with the production standard hereunder described:
the cultivation of milk enzymes used in the processing has to be natural grafted whey, coming from the whey remaining from the preceding processing that can be exposed to the concentration process, integrated, in case, with strains isolated from grafted whey of good quality «Provolone Valpadana»; the grafted wheys have to be left in acidification at a controlled temperature until the right acidity is obtained (20-25° SH/50 ml);
the coagulation, at the temperature of 37°- 39°C, is obtained according the following method: for the sweet typology, using the calf rennet in which a percentage of lamb and/or kid is allowed; for the spicy typology, using kid and/or lamb rennet; the addition of lipase is not allowed;
the stretching of the curd, according the usual use, is carried out after the natural lactic fermentation in a continuous way, only on the curd obtained by the same dairy in which the milk processing have been carried out; the pH of the curd at stretching will have to be of 4,90-5,20 for the sweet typology and 4,80-5,00 for the spicy typology; for the forms weighting over 10 kg the use of the additive E 239 is allowed;
the moulding is carried out manually or thanks to special moulds, afterward the curd has to undergo the brining with a salt concentration of 16-22 Be' and a temperature not over to 15°C, for a variable period of time, according to the weight of the form, from a few hours up to thirty days;
The ripening is carried out in environments suitable for their temperature (max 18°C) and humidity (max 90% u.r.), inside the production area. The cheese undergoing ripening can be coated with coating materials that do not alter the final characteristics of the product. The period of ripening can vary as follows:
up to 4 kg: minimum ripening ten days;
over 4 kg: minimum ripening 30 days;
over 10 kg and only for the spicy typology: minimum ripening 90 days;
the cheese can be «smoked»;
the weight varies according to the form;
The form, differentiated, can be: salame form (pancetta/pancettone), melon form (mandarino/mandarone), truncated cone form (gigante/gigantino), pear form also surmounted by a spherical little head (fiaschetta- flask); the external surface can have some light inlets that were made by the passage of the supporting ropes;
the rind, without the coating, is smooth, thin, light yellow coloured, golden, sometimes dark yellow; for the treatment on the surface it is allowed the use of paraffin, of coating material that can contain E 202, E 203, E 235 within the limits established by law; in alternative, a protective plastic packing can be used;
the curd is generally dense and can occasionally present light eyes; a light stripping of the cheese is tolerated in a short period- ripening cheese, whereas a long period-ripening cheese is characterized by a more marked stripping; generally the colour is pale yellow;
taste: refined until the three months ripening, almost spicy in the further on in ripening or when the kid or lamb rennet is used, separately or together;
in the finished product the residual quantity of E 239 can not be over 15 mg/kg;
the maximum content of water can not be superior to 45% for the sweet typology and not superior to 43% in the spicy typology;
The fat, on the dry substance can not be inferior to the 44%.
1-
R.D.L. 15-10-1925 n.2033R.
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2- D. 09-05-1929 n.994
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3- R.D.R. 26-03-1980 n.327
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4- R.Lgs 27-01-1992 n.109
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5- REG. CEE 2081-92
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6- D.Lgs 16-02-1993 n.77
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7- D.P.C.M. 09-04-1993
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8- D.M. 27-02-1996 n. 209
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9- D.P.R. 14-01-1997 n.54
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10- D.Lgs 26-05-1997 n.155
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11- D.19-09-03 PROTEZIONE TRANSIT.
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12- REG. CE 29-04-2004 n. 852
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13- REG. CE 29-04-2004 n. 853
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14- D.Lgs 19-11-2004 n.297
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15- L. 11-03-2006 n.81
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16- REG. 20-03-2006 n.510
