certification is synonymous with food safety and quality. It is the guarantee that the product is produced and processed in accordance with the requirements set out in the Specifications.
Since 2009, certification of membership of the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) Manchego Cheese has been carried out by the Regulatory Board Foundation Manchego Cheese PDO, which is accredited by the National Accreditation Agency, in accordance with the UNE-EN ISO/IEC 17065 standard.
This ratifies the Foundation as an impartial organisation, with qualified personnel and experience to assess the work carried out by all the operators involved in the process of making cheese under the Manchego Cheese PDO.
The accreditation has given a boost to the guarantee of quality and prestige of the Manchego Cheese PDO, as well as of the registered companies, which have the appropriate certification in the most demanding quality systems.
Any operator that has been awarded the certificate of aptitude must respect the obligations to which it has committed itself, and submit to the periodical audits established.
The certification system of the Regulatory Board Foundation Manchego Cheese PDO is open to any entity that decides to produce products covered by the Manchego Cheese PDO and that meets the requirements established in the Specifications.
In order to obtain the certification, the certification service will verify the specifications by means of the following steps:
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1Application for Certification
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2Review of the application
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3Certification agreement
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4Assessment (certification audit and sampling)
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5Assessment review
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6Certification decision
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7Renewal of certification and surveillance activities
In addition to certification audits, the Foundation carries out the following controls:
Inspections of registered breeders, to verify compliance with the technical and morphological specifications of the breed.
Control of dairy intermediaries, in order to verify the characteristics associated with the raw material.
Inspections of maturing chambers and product packaging and marketing companies, to check processes and facilities.
The operator that has been granted the certificate/aptitude report must adhere to the obligations to which it has committed itself, and submit to the periodic audits established.
