Bryndza is an exceptional food with extraordinarily beneficial effects on the human body. But not every "bryndza" is real bryndza. In stores, we see Slovak, Polish, summer, May bryndza, made by traditional and modern methods, pasteurized and "live". Who can make sense of it?
We asked MVDr. Tatiana Andrašková, production director of Kluknavská dairy, to help us understand this.
Let's start with the name Slovenská bryndza (Slovak Bryndza). What exactly does it mean? Is there a definition behind this name?
The name Slovenská bryndza means that whoever uses this name produces bryndza from Slovak raw materials, follows the traditional production method, and has a certificate for it. The certificate confirms compliance with defined conditions. Specifically, the name Slovenská bryndza means we are registered in Paris, where there is a special office for this, and our dairy holds a certificate confirming that we meet these conditions. The designation Slovenská bryndza means the raw material used comes exclusively from regions where it was historically produced and where the production process has its history. It means that the bryndza and the cheese from which it was made have been made here for centuries. The area where sheep were raised and grazed had pastures with typical grass compositions, so the final product, bryndza, has properties as in the past. This means the input product, milk and sheep cheese, has a long history here, and the technological production process is traditional. These regions include Šariš, Spiš, Orava, Liptov, Zamagurie. These are regions where this history is confirmed.
Such designation is among protected geographical indications. Does it refer to the origin of raw materials, or are quality characteristics also precisely defined?
It refers to the origin of raw materials and also to the traditional production method. So it concerns both the raw material and the way the product is made, which affects the taste, aroma, consistency, and overall quality of bryndza.
Does this mean the name Slovenská bryndza can be used for both summer and so-called winter bryndza?
Yes.
But winter bryndza also contains cow's milk…
Sometimes cow's milk is also added to summer bryndza because we must distinguish two types of bryndza: besides summer and winter, which relate to the season, there is mixed bryndza and 100% sheep bryndza. The mixed bryndza is divided into winter and summer.
So the names can overlap?
Yes. The name Slovenská bryndza can denote summer, winter, mixed, or 100% bryndza, but always only bryndza made exclusively from Slovak raw materials and by traditional methods.
Please clarify the question of mixed bryndza. Mixed means bryndza is mixed in some ratio with…
…cow cheese in a ratio of at least 50% sheep cheese. So 50% or more, with winter bryndza production using preserved raw material – sheep cheese. Preserved because in the past, sheep cheese was not produced in winter in our territory. For winter, it was stored by salting in summer and pressing into barrels, hence called "sudovka". No chemical preservatives are used, only salt. Sudovka means pressed, whey removed, salted sheep cheese prepared for winter. This cheese had a higher salt content, so winter bryndza may have a higher salt content than summer. To prevent it from being too salty, it is mixed with cow cheese, which unlike sheep cheese, is available in winter.
So winter bryndza was never 100% in the past…
No, it was never 100% in winter for the reason that it was very salty and dry. It was used as part of the diet mixed with other ingredients like potatoes or dough. Winter bryndza was mixed, half with cow curd from cow milk to make it edible. Also, because whey was pressed out, it was crumbly and hard and had a high salt content.
What proportion?
The salt content in sudovka is 5–6%. That is very salty for consumers. For regular consumption, salt content up to three percent is acceptable. Summer bryndza has a maximum of 2.5% salt.
Does salty cheese have more?
Yes, it can have up to 7%. But such salty cheese is not usually consumed alone. Also, since it is called salty cheese, no maximum percentage is set.
If summer bryndza has less salt and proper consistency, why is cow curd added to it?
Our 100% sheep bryndza is a unique product. It is made from unpasteurized sheep milk that undergoes fermentation for at least 10 days. The acidic environment kills viruses and bad bacteria. Conversely, such bryndza contains a huge amount of live probiotic bacteria. Up to one billion live probiotic bacteria in one gram. Such bryndza is not only food but also medicine. This is rarely emphasized. No other food in the European Union has such a unique composition with such a quantity and variety of bacteria needed for the human body. But producing quality "live" 100% bryndza costs something. Not everyone buys such bryndza. People often do not read labels, only look at price. They buy cheaper products. This leads producers to offer products with lower prices made partly from cheaper cow milk. Also, not every consumer likes strong sheep flavor and prefers bryndza with milder aroma.
Half "live" bryndza is not so bad… I have seen products on shelves with much lower bryndza content.
Yes, there are products that by law cannot be called bryndza but only bryndza products because they contain less than 50% sheep cheese.
We producers are concerned about legislative confusion. A law came out, probably effective next year, requiring producers to state the percentage of sheep cheese. But will it be good if it says only 10% sheep cheese in bryndza? Is it still bryndza? Until now, legislation required at least 50% sheep cheese in products called bryndza. Producers could add more depending on their economics. The law did not prevent producers from stating 70% or 100% sheep cheese. It was just additional information for consumers. But I fear this new law will do more harm than good. It will create price pressure on producers to reduce sheep cheese and replace it with cheaper raw materials.
It will be similar to cheeses and cheese products where vegetable fats and other cheaper ingredients are used. Or meat and meat products with much less meat. If legislative changes cause another wave of price pressure, it could be devastating for Slovak shepherds.
Fortunately, some producers still resist price pressures and 100% "live" bryndza can still sometimes be bought.
Yes. We really produce such bryndza honestly. I am sad that after all the food quality scandals, some consumers doubt that what is on the label is true.
As a food producer, you are under constant control by several inspection bodies, so you cannot write anything on the label…
Exactly. Everything we write on the label must be documented. For example, during certification, an audit is done annually by a company overseeing compliance with conditions, not only for bryndza but all certified products. This applies also to other products like Skalický trdelník or Spišské párky… The producer must provide all production documentation and raw material balance. So it cannot happen that someone imports cheap milk from abroad and labels the product with a protected geographical name. Every food company must ensure traceability of the food and all its ingredients.
How does such an audit proceed?
For example, the auditor buys bryndza or any product somewhere, brings it to us, puts it on the table, and requests all documentation. Everything – from the people who made it, on which machines, what packaging, and of course, the raw material. Raw material must be recorded with production batch or production date; you must document and present this.
How long must you archive all this evidence?
At least three years.
Including documents about the input raw material?
Yes, for input raw material we must document everything because it evaluates not only the raw material itself, its quality and quantity, but also where it was purchased, sampling, audits of sheep farms, suppliers, and so on.
Do you visit raw material suppliers at sheep farms?
Yes, I go to see the sheep farms because part of the standard is a certain level of sheep farms, so twice a season I visit them all. We also have simple yes-no questionnaires.
I must say conditions have improved a lot in the last ten years, compared to the past it is 100% better. One more thing changed: many producers, primary producers at sheep farms, give up cheese production at the farm, buy cooling equipment, and supply us with milk.
This way you standardize the process more.
Yes, we have more of the process under our control. So more influence on quality. Responsibility for quality is always on the producer. The seller ensures proper storage and expiry date compliance, but product quality is always on the producer’s shoulders.
Let's finish with what we started: Slovenská bryndza. On your website, you state you are the only ones.
Yes, we are the only ones. In Slovakia. In the EU. In the world. No one else produces bryndza under this certification except small local producers. No large producers do it anymore because maintaining traditional production in large-scale conditions is not easy, and of course, retail chains pressure producers on price, forcing them to buy cheaper raw materials from abroad where primary production is subsidized differently than here. So many producers import cheaper raw materials than domestic. And the question arises where this is heading. About three years ago, the EU sent inspectors to Slovakia for products with protected geographical indications, including bryndza. Unfortunately, at that time, we were the only producers of Slovenská bryndza; if we had not produced it then, they would have nowhere to go. The EU reproaches us for not focusing on our traditional products and Slovak specialties. Why don’t we do better marketing…
… some of us do, the company MilkAgro also with this interview, for which we thank you.
