Certified Production and Physicochemical Compliance of Vastedda Della Valle del Belìce PDO: A Five-Year Analysis of Official Certification Data (2021–2025)

Vastedda della Valle del Belìce Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) is a traditional Sicilian stretched-curd cheese produced from raw sheep’s milk. This study analysed data generated during routine certification and control activities conducted by the Control Body from 2021 to 2025 to assess compliance with the PDO Production Specification and describe year-to-year variation in certified production and physicochemical parameters. Certified production volumes and 96 analytical reports were retrospectively analysed in aggregated and anonymised form. Mean annual certified production was 26,295 kg. Mean fat content on a fresh-weight basis was 24.14%, with annual means ranging from 23.95% to 24.44%; however, one sample collected in 2021 showed a fat content below the minimum regulatory threshold of 18%. Mean sodium chloride content was 0.54%, well below the maximum permitted value of 2.7%. Among the 96 analytical reports included in the study, 95 (98.96%) met both physicochemical criteria evaluated in this study (fat and NaCl content), whereas one report was classified as non-compliant because of its fat content. These findings indicate a high observed level of compliance among the analytical reports examined and support the use of official certification data as a complementary resource for monitoring PDO product conformity over time under routine production conditions.