NEW’S | Opening notice of international opposition against “Azores Butter” PDO certification published in Official Journal of the European Union

The opening notice of the international opposition against “Azores Butter” PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) certification was published today in the Official Journal of the European Union, applicable to the European Union as well as to third countries.

For the Regional Secretary for Agriculture and Rural Development, António Ventura, this is the “last step for the European Union to certify the “Azores Butter” as a product of protected origin and unique in the world.”

“This designation will grant “legal support and international recognition” to a “unique product that results from the know-how as well as from the soil, climate and geographical conditions of the Azores,” he added.

The “Azores Butter” is obtained from pasteurised cream of cow’s milk originating exclusively from the defined geographical area of the Archipelago of the Azores, where the animals are reared according to local traditional husbandry techniques and graze all year round, thus resulting in a product with the characteristics that define it.

It is characterised by being a product without any added starter cultures, colourings or preservatives; with beta-carotene values ≥ 5 mg KOH/g (high-performance liquid chromatography method), which gives it a yellow to deep yellow colour; with an intense aroma and flavour, marked by a fresh, milky taste; with fat content between 81 % and 86 % and with a compact, uniform and smooth texture, which makes the product easy to spread.

With a view to guaranteeing the origin of the product, the “Azores Butter” can only be made by production units located in the geographical area that enter into a written commitment to comply with the terms of the product specification and the respective monitoring system.

Production units must ensure that the specific traceability of “Azores Butter” is maintained at all stages of production until it is placed on the market.

The characteristics of the “Azores Butter” are closely linked to the raw material used, that is, the milk produced by cows living in harmony with the Azorean nature. The traditional animal husbandry practices of local producers that have been passed down through generations are also evident, being essentially based on the permanent grazing of cows.

The climate of the archipelago of the Azores, as a result of its geographical location, is “a temperate oceanic climate.” It is characterised by mild temperatures with minor fluctuations, high relative humidity and high levels of rainfall, which also contribute to the unique characteristics of the product.

This publication confers the right to object to the application for a period of three months from the date of publication and, after that period, “Azores Butter” will be in a position to join a list of other Azorean products recognised under the European Union’s international agreements.