Commission registers first food Geographical Indication from Malta and a Protected Geographical Indication from Slovak Republic

The Commission has registered the first food product from Malta, the 'Ġbejna tan-nagħaġ' (pictured), as Protected Designation of Origin (PDO). The 'Ġbejna tan-nagħaġ' is a fresh cheese made with whole raw milk from sheep, produced in the three islands of the Maltese archipelago: Malta, Gozo, and Comino. There are three varieties, it can be fresh ('Ġbejna tan-nagħaġ' friska), air-dried (‘Ġbejna tan-nagħaġ' niexfa), or pickled and peppered (‘Ġbejna tan-nagħaġ' tal-bżar). The production process requires training and is passed from one generation to the next. The ‘Ġbejna tan-nagħaġ' is an integral part of the Maltese culinary heritage and is included in several traditional Maltese recipes.

The Commission also approved the addition of 'Trnavský slad' from the Slovak Republic to the register of Protected Geographical Indications (PGI). ‘Trnavský slad' is a light barley malt intended primarily for the production of beer. It is obtained from varieties of barley grown on the Trnava plain, in the north-eastern part of the Danubian Lowlands. The cultivation of malting barley has a long tradition in the region, dating back to the 16th century.

The new denominations will be added to the list of 3,642 agricultural products already in the Union register for agricultural geographical indications. The list of all registered geographical indications can be found in the eAmbrosia database. More information is available online at Quality Schemes and on our GIView portal.

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