Malta’s traditional sheep cheese, the ġbejna tan-nagħaġ, is on the brink of being awarded special status as ‘Protected Designation of Origin’ by the European Commission.
An application to protect the heritage of the cheese rounds was submitted around two years ago and has now reached the final stage of approval.
Other EU member states have three months to review it and lodge any objections to recognising the cheese as a form of national heritage that deserves to be protected.
A spokesperson for Xirka Produtturi Nagħaġ u Mogħoż, the association representing local sheep and goat herders, said he was “thrilled” with the development.
“It took us 13 years of battling to get here,” he said.
The application details strict criteria for ġbejna tan-nagħaġ production, from the size and weight of the cheese to the sheep’s diet and packaging methods.
A first for Malta
According to the application, the product is a fresh cheese produced with whole raw milk from sheep of the ‘Maltese’ breed and its crosses with the Friesian breed or others, and that are registered in the Maltese islands, including Malta, Gozo, and Comino.
If approved, ġbejna tan-nagħaġ would be Malta’s first protected food heritage product, earning the prestigious PDO label.
The PDO status identifies products that are produced, processed and prepared in a specific geographical area. It safeguards regional foods from mass-produced imitations and ensures quality standards.
Examples of other products that have protected status in the EU include Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, Parma ham, Champagne and feta cheese.
“The benefits of the PDO for us would be that smaller genuine producers will be able to access an open market,” added the spokesperson.
Looking ahead, it already has another goal in sight, to push for the protection of ġbejna tal-mogħoż (goat cheese) as Malta’s next heritage product.
Initially, the application included both, but just before it was sent off it was controversially revised to focus solely on sheep cheese.
This means cheese made from cows’ milk, ġbejna tal-baqar, such as those made by Benna, or ġbejna made with additives, modern drying and curing methods, and even powdered milk, will be able to use the term ‘ġbejna’ but would not be protected.
The agricultural NGO, the Maya Foundation, was among those who objected to the change at the time saying that “at face value the current submission might seem that it is protecting the product, but in the long term it will actually harm it”.