Cheeses with Appellation d'Origine Controlee (AOC): Factors that Affect Quality

It is customary for producing countries to use geographical names to designate their traditional products. Starting with the Paris Convention of 1883, various international agreements defined the conditions for reciprocal recognition of origin denominations. These provisions offered a guarantee for consumer quality requirements as well as guidelines for the producers. Special provisions of the national legislation in several countries have introduced the AOC concept in order to define the attributes necessary for characterising traditional products, and to protect their denominations. These attributes derive from precise geographical (territorial), production (appropriate technology), and economic (notoriety) influences. This paper examines the legislative and economic conditions related to AOC cheeses and describes the production methods which determine their final characteristics. The paper reviews practices such as the respect for local breeds, the environmental patrimony, the use of raw milk, the adoption of traditional production methods, the transformation of the milk, and ripening. These practices must be taken into account when defining the models for physical, chemical, and sensory evaluation of the various types of AOC cheeses. If the main goal of the AOC is to guarantee a minimum quality level, we need an objective definition of the qualitative characteristics required for the cheese. This definition must rely on specific analytical methods in order to establish authenticity and determine differences from generic imitation products. In particular, studies concerning maturation become very important, as ripening develops the taste, flavour, and texture which distinguish each cheese. Analytical data on the ripening of Parmigiano Reggiano have also been included in the paper as an example of AOC cheese characterisation.