AOC : appellation contrôlée (label guaranteeing the quality of the product), this reference identifies a product that gets its authenticity from its geographical origin, guaranteeing a close link between a product and an area, as well as renown acquired over the years; the label aims to protect this. It is organized by the National Institute for Quality Labels (INAO) which makes sure the standards for the quality label are respected throughout the chain.

There are two kinds of Saint Nectaire:
The farm Saint Nectaire : : unpasteurised cow's milk cheese, uncooked, pressed and with a bloomy rind displaying white, yellow and red mould. It has 45 % fat content and its dry extract is 52 %.
The dairy Saint Nectaire : The only difference with the farm Saint Nectaire comes from it being made in a dairy.
Label of guaraantee area : The Saint Nectaire is one of the Auvergne's four AOC. Its label of guarantee ('appellation') area includes 72 districts, 52 are part of the south west of the Puy de Dôme and 20 are part of the north of the Cantal department. Click here to see the map