C 78/16EN Official Journal of the European Communities 10.3.2001

Publication of an application for registration pursuant to the second subparagraph of Article 8(1) of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2082/92 on certificates of specific character

(2001/C 78/08) This publication confers the right to object to the application pursuant to Articles 8 and 9 of the abovementioned Regulation. Any objection to the application must be submitted via the competent authority in the Member State concerned within a time limit of five months from the date of this publication. Supporting arguments for publication are set out below, in particular under points 4.2, 4.3 and 4.4, and are considered to justify the application within the meaning of Regulation (EEC) No 2082/92.

COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC) No 2082/92

APPLICATION FOR REGISTRATION OF A CERTIFICATE OF SPECIFIC CHARACTER

National application No: 1

1. Competent authority

Name: Statens livsmedelsverk,

Address: Box 622, S-751 26 Uppsala

Tel. (46-18) 17 55 00

Fax (46-18) 10 58 48.

2. Applicant group

2.1. Name: Swedish Meats ek för., Köttbranschens Riksförbund

2.2. Address: 121 86 Johanneshov, Box 5093, S-121 16 Johanneshov

2.3. Composition: producer/processor (x) other ( ).

3. Type of product: Meat products (cooked, salted, smoked, etc.) — class 1.2.

4. Summary of product specification

(Summary of requirements under Article 6(2))

4.1. Name: Falukorv.

4.2. Specific production or manufacturing method

Raw materials

— raw or salted , horsemeat or with rind removed. Such meat is defined as skeletal muscle including the naturally adherent fatty tissue and ligaments from which larger tendons have been removed. It may not contain more than 25 g per 100 g,

— raw or salted pork including raw or salted fatty pork with rind removed. Pork and fatty pork are defined as skeletal muscle of pigs with the naturally adherent fatty tissue and ligaments without rind. Pork may contain no more than 50 g fat per 100 g, and fatty pork may contain no more than 80 g fat per 100 g,

— potato flour,

— water,

— cooking salt,

— seasoning. 10.3.2001EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 78/17

Additives

— preservative E 250,

— antioxidant E 300,

— stabiliser E 450.

Preparation

The meat products (beef, pork and/or horsemeat, rindless pork, rindless fatty pork) are finely chopped in a mincer or chopper.

Potato flour, water, cooking salt, seasoning and additives are mixed with the meat ingredients in a blender or chopper.

The mixture is emulsified in an emulsifying machine or chopper.

A filling machine is used to pack the meat into ring-shaped or straight artificial casings over 45 mm in diameter.

The are smoked and heat-treated with steam to a core temperature of + 72 °C in a cooking cabinet.

They are then cooled down to below + 8 °C.

The sausages are vacuum-packed or wrapped in a controlled atmosphere in whole rings, straight or in pieces.

4.3. Traditional character: Falukorv goes back to 17th-century Sweden. National rules on falukorv production date from 1973. Most Swedes regard falukorv as a national dish.

Falukorv is a coarse sausage (diameter > 45 mm) which is sliced into centimeter-thick slices and fried for lunch or dinner. In some parts of Sweden sliced falukorv is also used as a sandwich filling.

According to the Dalarnas Museum the history of falukorv dates back to the 17th century, when ox hides were used to produce cords for extracting ore from the Falu Koppargruva copper mine. In winter it was possible to store surplus meat, but in summer it was made into sausage to extend its shelf life. This sausage went by the name ‘falukorv’.

The Stora Kopparbergs Län local newspaper of 14 December 1834 contained the following reference:

‘Every year large quantities of smoked sausage produced in Swedwi parish are sent to the capital. In Stockholm this goes by the name of Fahlu Korf (old Swedish spelling, now “falukorv”) and has been a best-seller for many years.’

According to a survey of eating habits ‘Mat och måltider bland arbetare och tjänstemän i Jonsered under 1900-talet’ (‘Food and meals of blue-collar and white-collar workers in Jonsered in the 20th century’) (third semester (C1) essay in ethnology, Göteborg University, spring semester 1976, Birgitta Frykman), falukorv is a common foodstuff in both white-collar and blue-collar households.

Traditionally, falukorv has always been produced from raw meat products using potato flour as the sole binding agent.

The ‘Receptbok för charkuterister’ (‘Recipe book for pork butchers’), compiled by Henning Fasth in 1936 contains two recipes for falukorv. The recipe uses either beef or fatty pork or, in the second recipe, slightly more fatty beef, but with potato flour as the sole binding agent. C 78/18EN Official Journal of the European Communities 10.3.2001

Page 69 of ‘Charkuterikursen — del 2’ (‘Course for pork butchers — part 2’) published by Brevskolan och LTK in 1955 contains a recipe for falukorv. ‘Beef category III’ has around 20 % fat and ‘pork III’ around 50 % (page 92). Using today’s definitions of meat (maximum 25 % fat) the recipe requires around 45 % meat. The sole binding agent is potato flour.

When the national standard was introduced in 1973 it laid down minimum requirements for meat quantities according to the traditional method of producing falukorv in the early 1900s.

4.4. Description of the product

Organoleptic characteristics

The colour of the slices ranges from a faint to marked brownish-pink.

The consistency is firm.

Falukorv has a delicate to pronounced taste of smoke, seasoning and salt.

Physical and chemical characteristics

Falukorv may contain a maximum 65 g water per 100 g finished product.

The fat content may be a maximum 23 g per 100 g finished product calculated on the basis of the maximum authorised water content.

Microbiological characteristics

Log (No of units of bacteria/g) may not exceed log 7 on the expiry date. Falukorv must be stored at + 8 °C or under. It may be deep-frozen.

Appearance

Falukorv is a coarse sausage produced in rings or straight in artificial casings 45 mm and more in diameter and of varying weights.

4.5. Minimum requirements and inspection procedures to which specific character is subject

There shall be at least 40 g meat per 100 g finished product.

Potato flour may be added at a maximum 4 g dry matter per 100 g finished product. The dry matter is calculated on the basis of the maximum authorised water content.

Checks on the minimum and maximum requirements and chemical and bacteriological checks are carried out by the manufacturers on random samples at a rate laid down by the programme of checks approved by the regulatory authorities. The chemical values for fat and water are measured in each sample tested after homogenisation of 500 g of falukorv.

The checks carried out by all Swedish meats manufacturing establishments are monitored by the Statens livsmedelverk (national food administration).

The same applies to the around 40 pork butcher manufacturers which are members of the Köttbranschens Riksförbund (national meat industry association). Some companies in the Köttbranschens Riksförbund are subject to monitoring by the communal authorities.

5. Request for reservation pursuant to Article 13(2): Yes.

The Community symbol provided for in Article 12 of Regulation (EC) No 2082/92 together with the words ‘enligt svensk tradition’ (‘according to Swedish tradition’).

EC No: S/SV/00020/2000.08.21.

Date of receipt of the full application: 21 August 2000.