The European Commission announced Tuesday approving the addition of Bulgarsko kiselo mlyako, or Bulgarian Soured Milk, as Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) from Bulgaria. It is a soured milk product made from raw milk obtained from sheep, cows, buffalos, goats or a mixture thereof produced in Bulgaria, and a symbiotic starter from the bacteria Lactobacillicus delbrueckii ssp.bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus not subjected to genetic modification.
It is characterized by a specific fresh, lactic acid flavour and aroma, which is due to 34 types of aromatic substances resulting from the fermentation of the milk by the combined action of the two bacteria.
This new denomination will be added to the list of 1,641 agricultural products already protected.
Bulgarian Agriculture Minister Kiril Vatev commented the addition of the denomination for Bulgarian soured milk in Brussels, where he attended an Agriculture Council: "This traditional Bulgarian product has become world-famous for its beneficial qualities and adding it to the list of geographic indications will help to make it even more popular."
He also said that the new registration will give Bulgarian producers a competitive edge and provide additional guarantees for the product quality and origin for producers.
The initiative for the geographical indication came from a Bulgarian association for traditional Bulgarian dairy products. An application was sent by the Bulgarian Agriculture Ministry to the EC in February 2021.
Bulgarsko kiselo mlyako/Bulgarian soured milk is the fourth DPO food from Bulgaria with protection at EU level. The other three are Bulgarsko byalo salamureno sirene/Bulgarian white brined cheese; Strandzhanski bilkov chay/Strandzha herbal tea; and Strandzhanski manov med/ Honeydew honey from Strandzha.
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