Malaga cheese producers launch designation of origin to protect its singularity

Julio J. Portabales

Friday, 28 March 2025 | Updated 29/03/2025 10:59h.

The cheese-making business in Malaga continues to be one of the main pillars of the province's agro-economy. With this premise in mind, the main hall at the tourism faculty of the University of Malaga was the venue that hosted the final conference of the collaborative project 'Cheeses of Malaga: Innovation and Tradition' on Friday 21st March, an initiative whose main objective is to turn the sector around in search of a quality label that brings innovation and provides added value to its products. Beyond the exchange of ideas and experiences, the meeting had one clear purpose: to move forward on securing the 'protected designation of origin' (PDO, or DOP in Spanish) for Malaga cheeses. According to the experts, such an accreditation would represent a qualitative leap for a sector that combines history, culture and economic potential.

The day began with a talk by geographer and historian Diego Javier Sánchez, who outlined the connections between Malaga's cheese-making past and present. He explained that the known first traces of cheese production in the province date back to between 5,000 and 6,000 years BC, with evidence found in the Pileta cave in the Serranía de Ronda. "The relationship between the land, shepherding and cheese forms part of our identity," he said.

This link with the environment and traditions is precisely one of the pillars underpinning the PDO application. Agri-food technician Sergio Vera was in charge of explaining the current state of the local cheese trade and the progress made in drafting the specifications that will accompany the PDO application. He also presented a detailed review of the livestock breeds, active farms, processed milk, the variety of products and their geographical distribution. "A PDO is not just a label, it is a tool to protect what we are, to generate employment and to retain population in rural areas," he said.

The importance of defining the product well was also underlined by Antero Manuel Murillo, from the Centro Tecnológico Agroalimentario (CICAP), who explained the technical criteria being used to characterise Malaga cheeses. "Getting producers to accurately describe their own cheese is key to building a recognisable and protected identity," he said.

The technical finale was a round table session moderated by Leonor García-Agua, director of Sabor a Málaga, where representatives of other food producers with PDOs shared their experiences of the process. From Torta del Casar to Murcia cheese or Garrotxa, they all agreed on the need to support differentiated quality from within the sector itself. "Seeing how you have achieved this encourages us to continue working," said García-Agua during the closing ceremony.

The day ended with a cheese-tasting led by Murillo, where attendees were able to appreciate the differences between some varieties of Malaga cheese according to their maturity. A final gesture to be remind everyone that this product is not only food, but also a living story of the land where it is made. The project, financed by EAFRD funds and the Junta de Andalucía, is part of a broader strategy to position Malaga cheese in the place it deserves: with its own name, a seal of quality and international recognition.

With institutional backing, the efforts of the sector and a product with its own identity, Malaga cheese is preparing to make the leap that will put it on the map of the great cheeses with a European seal. Securing protected designation of origin status is no longer just an aspiration, but a shared objective that sets the course towards a more solid, fair and recognised future for those who have been transforming milk into cheese for generations.