No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council on Quality Schemes for Agricultural Products and Foodstuffs (2015/C 182/07)
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3.6.2015 EN Official Journal of the European Union C 182/7 OTHER ACTS EUROPEAN COMMISSION Publication of an application pursuant to Article 50(2)(a) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs (2015/C 182/07) This publication confers the right to oppose the application pursuant to Article 51 of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council (1). SINGLE DOCUMENT ‘SAUCISSON D’ARDENNE’/‘COLLIER D’ARDENNE’/‘PIPE D’ARDENNE’ EU No: BE-PGI-0005-01222 — 08.05.2014 PDO ( ) PGI ( X ) 1. Name ‘Saucisson d’Ardenne’/‘Collier d’Ardenne’/‘Pipe d’Ardenne’ 2. Member State or Third Country Belgium 3. Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff 3.1. Type of product Class 1.2. Meat products (cooked, salted, smoked, etc.) 3.2. Description of the product to which the name in (1) applies The three names refer to the same smoked, dried, cold meat product (sausage), produced by the fermentation of pork, or pork and beef. This cylindrically-shaped product exists in three forms (each with its own name): — ‘saucisson’: long and straight, with a diameter of between 30 and 90 mm, a maximum length of 60 cm (and maximum weight of approximately 2,2 kg) when it is sold to the consumer whole, — ‘collier’: semi-circular, with a diameter of between 20 and 40 mm and a weight of between 200 and 600 g, — ‘pipe’: long and straight, with a weight and diameter of maximum 150 g and 30 mm respectively. The outer appearance is smooth and slightly oily. The skin is thin and dark red. Its natural appearance must on no account be modified. When it is cut, the colour of the meat is pure red and the fat is white. The grains (lean and fat) are clearly separate and defined, rounded or slightly elongated. Although the grains are separate, the mince has a perfectly bound appearance. The size of the grains is fine to medium: their maximum length varies between 4 and 8 mm. The flesh texture is tender but firm. The medium dryness of the product (maximum 60 % moisture content with fat removed), makes the product firm enough that it cannot be distorted simply by pressing a finger on the outside. However, the texture in the mouth is smooth and does not come across as dry, even though the fat content is not very high (maximum 50 % of the dry matter). It has an even, non-granular consistency. (1) OJ L 343, 14.12.2012, p. 1. C 182/8 EN Official Journal of the European Union 3.6.2015 The smoked aroma prevails, while the smoked flavour is refined and more or less pronounced depending on the producer; it lingers in the mouth. The refined flavour is due to the slow burning (cold smoke), in a smoke cham ber, of wood from broad-leaved trees (oak and/or beech). A slight odour of fresh meat and spices can be detected. The smoked taste of the ‘Saucisson d’Ardenne’ is harmoniously combined with a slight acidity and spiced flavours (woody, peppery, resinous), closely associated with juniper berries, the seasoning traditionally used during smoking. Other spices should remain discreet. If there is a flavour of garlic, it is light. The ‘Saucisson d’Ardenne’ can be distinguished from its Gaume counterpart by its finer grain, higher level of desic cation and the use of specific spices (juniper berries in particular), either in the mixture or at the smoking stage. Physico-chemical criteria: — acidity (pH): 4,7 to 5,2, — moisture content with fat removed: maximum 60 %, — fat content: maximum 50 % of the dry matter, — protein content: minimum 40 % of the dry matter, — water/protein ratio: maximum 2,0, — collagen/protein ratio: maximum 0,15, — reducing sugar content (expressed as glucose): maximum 2,0 %, — water activity: maximum 0,92; the maximum may exceed 0,92 if a challenge test can guarantee that there is no growth of Listeria monocytogenes (Commission Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 (1)), — salt content: maximum 4,0 % of the fresh content of the finished product. 3.3. Feed (for products of animal origin only) and raw materials (for processed products only) The raw material consists either exclusively of pork, or of pork and beef. The beef content must not exceed a maximum of 40 % of the total fresh weight of the raw material. The pork is composed of fat meat and lean meat. Offal, mechanically recovered meat, as well as pork and beef diaphragm and rind are not permitted. A positive list sets out the authorised ingredients, processing aids and additives. Only natural, porous casings, cellulose casings (for pre-sliced forms only), collagen or bonded casings are author ised. They must not be coloured. For smoking, the sawdust, wood shavings or logs used come from broad-leaved trees (oak and/or beech). The use of coniferous wood and recycled wood is forbidden in all forms (sawdust etc.). Suppliers guarantee to use food- quality oil to grease their equipment. The addition of juniper berries to the fuel is permitted. 3.4. Specific steps in production that must take place in the defined geographical area The entire production process (from the preparation of the mixture to the drying stage) takes place in the Ard ennes region. 3.5. Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc. of the product the registered name refers to All packagers/pre-slicers must contact the independent certifying body for the producer/supplier concerned before beginning any operations for this producer customer and/or a new distributor customer and/or on their own account. All producers must notify their independent certifying body of any packagers/pre-slicers that they are aware of linked to their production. (1) OJ L 338, 22.12.2005, p. 1. 3.6.2015 EN Official Journal of the European Union C 182/9 3.6. Specific rules concerning labelling of the product to which the registered name refers All products that are entitled to one of the three registered names are labelled at the end of the production process or, if applicable, at the packaging stage. The product label, including for the pre-sliced forms, consists of the registered name corresponding to the form of the product, the European Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) logo (in the same field of vision as the name), a reference to the independent certifying body for the producer and, for the pre-sliced forms, the reference of the producer. The independent certifying body for the producer concerned must be notified of all labelling and means of identification. 4. Concise definition of the geographical area The Ardennes region is identical to that defined in 1974 for ‘Jambon d’Ardenne’ PGI. It covers the entirety of the province of Luxembourg and some judicial cantons, or parts of cantons, belonging to the provinces of Liège (7 cantons, 29 entities, 82 former municipalities) and Namur (4 cantons, 14 entities, 114 former municipalities). 5. Link with the geographical area The link between the ‘Saucisson d’Ardenne’ and its geographical area of production is two-fold, founded on natural factors and a solid reputation. Natural factors The Ardennes region, as defined in point 4, includes hills that rise to an altitude of 700 metres. They act as a barrier to the damp air masses brought by the prevailing south-westerly winds, resulting in a characteristic cold, damp climate: long, cold winters (October to May) and rainy summers. Today’s Ardennes forest is the descendent of the ancient Silva Carbonaria (‘Charcoal Forest’), in which the dominant trees were beech and oak, species endemic to this region. Livestock farming dominates in this region, because the landscape of plateaus with large slopes, along with relatively infertile soil, is not conducive to the cultivation of arable crops. C 182/10 EN Official Journal of the European Union 3.6.2015 The clearing of the forest and the ancestral agro-pastoral techniques applied in these areas have led to the appear ance of wet heaths in the valleys, the typical flora of which consists largely of heathers and juniper. Smoking The art of curing by smoking is an unquestionable part of the Ardennes tradition. The smoked quality of the ‘Saucisson d’Ardenne’ is therefore its main distinguishing feature. The smoked character is pronounced and prevails in the aroma, while being delicate to the taste. Its refined flavour comes from the slow burning of wood from broad-leaved trees, mainly oak and beech. According to the producer’s preference, the result of this impregnation with smoked aromas may be improved by burning juniper berries, a condiment that is typically used in the Ardennes region. The berries add a particular aromatic feature, character ised by a woody, peppery and slightly resinous taste. The practice of smoking cured meat in the Ardennes region differs from that of the neighbouring or nearby areas: in the Black Forest (Germany), meat is smoked to a much greater extent and comes from the burning of coniferous wood; in the Gaume region, it is more discreet, and in the French Ardennes, cured meat is not smoked at all. Pork and beef The history of pigs in the Ardennes region is closely linked to the history of the forest that used to cover the Ardennes mountain range. The ‘pigs, cured meat and sausage’ trio has had a profound impact on this region. The traditional pork butchers of the region have accumulated expertise over the centuries, enabling them to use every part of the pig. The finest cuts are made into ‘Jambon d’Ardenne’ (ham), and the less prime cuts are used for the ‘Saucisson d’Ardenne’.