Milking, cheesemaking and aging must take place within the same geographical area - and the cows are only allowed to graze there. The requirements for French cheese producers to be able to quality-label their cheeses, and to give them certain specific names, are strict.
But this year's heat waves have created problems. Normally lush pastures are lying bare and dry.
In response, the government has issued an unusual exemption: producers of Abondance, Beaufort and Comté - hard cheeses from cows in the Alps and Jura mountains - are now allowed to supplement their animals’ diets with feed and grain from elsewhere. The exemption also applies to several other cheeses.
Around 95 percent of mainland France is estimated to have been affected by July's drought.
