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At
the beginning of 2001, the milk and cheese production of Tamanduá
Farm were the first to receive the IBD certification.
The
milk is produced by cows of the Parda Suíça breed, almost
all of which are registered, and whose hardiness is legendary and
particularly well adapted to the climatic conditions of the sertão
region. Since the 1970’s, strict selection has been carried out in
order to maintain these characteristics.
The
milk, which is entirely processed in the Tamanduá Farm cheese
factory, yields a monthly average of 2,500 kg of certified organic
cheese.
Four
types of cheese are produced at Tamanduá Farm: three of them of
European origin – Saint
Paulin, Reblochon and
Ricotta (or Curd Cheese) – and the fourth, a typical cheese
from the Northeast of Brazil, called Queijo
de Coalho.
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Unlike
the two fresh cheeses, before being sold the Saint Paulin and the
Reblochon are matured for a period that varies from 20 to 30 days,
in special chambers with controlled temperature and moisture; they
are also brushed and turned over every day.
The
installations are submitted to the inspection of the Federal
Inspection Service (SIF) of the Ministry of Agriculture, under
license no. 1312, which authorizes Mocó Agropecuária to sell its
products throughout Brazil.
A
full-time veterinarian is responsible for the whole of the milk
production chain, from mating or insemination, provision of rations,
milking, and the processing of the milk, up to the sale of the
cheese, ensuring both the perfect health of the livestock and the
perfect hygiene and quality of the products.
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Fazenda
Tamandua's Saint Paulin and Reblochon Cheeses |
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Ricotta, or curd cheese, is the latest cheese whose
production was approved not only by the SIF but also by the IBD. Ricotta, which originated in the Mediterranean region, especially
Southern Italy, is a mild, creamy, cheese with a delicate and pleasant texture and a neutral flavor, and may be added to sweet and savory foods. Being a
fresh product which is highly nutritious and very easily digested,
Ricotta may be better tolerated by people who dislike milk, and is
recommended for use in diets and by diabetics.
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According
to Ministry of Agriculture Administrative Order no. 146 of March 7,
1996, ricotta can be classified as a low-fat product, with 10% to
25% fat and high moisture content (never less than 55%).
It
is obtained by means of the heating and acidification of milk
whey, which
results in the precipitation of its proteins. It enables the whey
from the cheeses produced at the farm to be used.
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Fazenda
Tamadnua's RIcota Chesse |
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of the sertão region of North-East Brazil, coalho
cheese resulted from the needs of travelers on long trips, to pack
milk into their bags (matulão), which were made from young
animals’ stomachs.As a consequence, they noticed that the milk
clotted, and that the mass was very tasty, thus originating the
"Coalho Cheese" (coalhar means to clot). |
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Until
recently, these cheeses were obtained from fresh milk and, when
matured, they were placed out in the sun and in the night dew of the
sertão. However, this product may be made in different ways,
varying according to the micro-region of the North-East. The coalho
cheese from Tamanduá Farm is made with whole pasteurized milk;
the mass obtained is pressed, the whey is removed, salt is added,
and it is eaten fresh or matured (from 3 to 5 days).
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Fazenda
Tamandua's Coalho Chesse |
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The
rind is thin in the case of fresh cheese, and thick when matured,
and its consistency is soft. This cheese may be eaten raw,
accompanied by desserts or jams, as well as toasted on a frying pan
or grilled on skewers.
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Organic
Honey |
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In October, 2002, the IBD certified the bee-keeping
process established at Tamanduá Farm.
The bees (Apis
mellifera), were initially obtained from captured migrating swarms.
Currently, part of the bees come from the division of selected
families already existing in the apiaries of the property. The
honeycomb wax is already being produced by our own bees.
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At
Tamanduá Farm, the bees’ feeding ground is very rich: blooming
occurs in different periods after the rains begin, which means that
there is always the predominance of one or several plants available
during the rainy season. In addition to the thousands of native
leguminous plants and grasses, we have observed especially the
following shrub species whose blossoms have a strong influence on
the color and taste of the honey: mango, white jurema, black jurema,
catingueira, angico, quince trees, juazeiro, mufumbo,
and oiticica.
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Ten
apiaries, each holding 10 hives, are located within the property,
near water reservoirs.
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The
fact that they are kept some distance from the Farm’s boundaries
ensures that the nectar collected by the bees always comes from
vegetation inside the property, which has been free of chemical
products since 1998.
The
trackability of the final product is an issue of great concern.
The
“Honey House”, as well as the tools used in the collection,
decantation, filtration and packing process, were approved by the
Federal Inspection Service of the Ministry of Agriculture, under no.
ER – 110, ensuring the right to sell the product throughout Brazil
and abroad.
The
product is sold in 300 and 700-gram glass jars.
This
sector is supervised by a forestry engineer who is also a
bee-keeping instructor at SENAR/PB.
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Apis
mellifera
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Organic
honey from North-East
with Rain Forest organic guaraná |
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The
mix of organic honey from the North-East semi-arid with organic
guaraná from the Rain Forest is an iniciative from Fazenda Tamanduá.This
shows how rich is the Brazilian biodiversity. |

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