Traditional and regional food in Poland no 116.1 Bożena Gulbicka Warsaw 2014 ISBN 978-83-7658-508-6 Traditional and regional food in Poland Traditional and regional food in Poland Author prof. dr hab. Bożena Gulbicka Warsaw 2014 This publication was prepared as a contribution to the research on the following subject: Assessment of the development conditions and challenges for the agri-food sector in Poland at the background of the global trends within the framework of the research task: Seeking for new production balance in Poland at the background of the global trends The purpose of this research was to present traditional and regional food in the aspect of new legal regulations and especially its safety to human health. Reviewer prof. dr hab. Stanisáaw Kowalczyk Computer development BoĪena Brzostek-Kasprzak Proofreader Katarzyna Mikulska Translated by Summa Linguae S.A. Cover Project AKME Projekty Sp. z o.o. ISBN 978-83-7658-508-6 Instytut Ekonomiki Rolnictwa i Gospodarki ĩywnoĞciowej – PaĔstwowy Instytut Badawczy ul. ĝwiĊtokrzyska 20, 00-002 Warszawa tel.: (22) 50 54 444 faks: (22) 50 54 636 e-mail: [email protected] http://www.ierigz.waw.pl List of Contents Introduction 7 I. REGIONAL AND TRADITIONAL PRODUCTS IN THE EUROPEAN UNION – BASIC LEGAL REGULATIONS 9 1. Regional and traditional agri-food products 10 1.1. Scheme for Protected Designations of Origin and Protected Geographical Indications 13 1.2. Scheme for Traditional Specialities Guaranteed 16 2. Scope of the Regulation on regional and traditional products 17 3. Registration of regional and traditional products 19 4. Role of the group in the registration of regional and traditional products 20 5. Control of compliance with the specification of regional and traditional products 22 6. Opposition 23 7. EU-registered agri-food products 24 II. TRADITIONAL AND REGIONAL PRODUCTS IN THE POLISH LEGISLATION 26 1. The tasks of authorities competent for the assessment of applications for registration 27 2. Procedure for the assessment of applications for registration of agricultural products and foodstuffs 27 3. Proceedings in case of opposition 30 4. Temporary national protection 30 5. Control of agricultural products and foodstuffs to be carried out upon request of a producer 31 6. Official controls of marketable quality of agri-food products 34 7. Penal provisions 35 8. The National List of Traditional Products 36 III. NATIONAL AND REGIONAL FOOD QUALITY SCHEMES 39 1. The Polish Chamber of Regional and Local Product 39 2. “Quality Tradition” scheme 41 3. Traditional product from Maáopolska and other regions 46 4. Warmia, Mazury and PowiĞle in the European Network of Culinary Heritage 47 5. Try Fine Food (PDĩ) 49 6. The Polish food quality schemes for meat products 54 6.1. The Quality Meat Program (QMP) 54 6.2. The Pork Quality System (PQS) 55 6.3. The Quality Assurance for Food Products (QAFP) 55 IV. QUALITY AND SAFETY OF TRADITIONAL AND REGIONAL FOOD 58 1. Food quality 59 2. Food safety 60 3. Traditional food 61 4. Derogations from standard requirements 62 5. Tougher food legislation in the field of food contaminants 64 5.1. Food contaminants 64 5.2. Characteristics of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons 65 5.3. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon contamination in smoked foods 67 5.4. Smoked food producers against the stricter PAH standards 71 V. POLISH TRADITIONAL AND REGIONAL PRODUCTS REGISTERED WITH THE EUROPEAN UNION AND THEIR CHARACTERISTICS 75 1. Products registered as Protected Designations of Origin 75 2. Products registered as Protected Geographical Indications 86 3. Products registered as a Traditional Speciality Guaranteed 108 VI. OPPORTUNITIES FOR AND BARRIERS TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE MARKET OF TRADITIONAL AND REGIONAL PRODUCTS IN POLAND 115 1. Culinary heritage in Poland 116 2. Support to agricultural producers participating in food quality schemes 122 3. Barriers to market development of traditional and regional products in Poland 126 Summary 131 References 136 INTRODUCTION The consumers and producers in Poland and other European Union countries show increasing interest in regional and traditional food distinguished by unique quality. How- ever, the market was captured by mass-produced food, industrial production and fast foods. In most of the countries, regional and traditional food represents a minor market segment. The natural time-consuming and labour-intensive production methods, typical of traditional and regional food are the exact opposite of standardisation and normalisation of food production brought about by globalisation. Products manufactured under industrial mass production contain many chemical additives improving their taste, smell, and colour, and preservatives extending durability of food often transported over long distances. Although food law allows for the use of these sub- stances their content in food limits the consumer’s confidence in the product. Thus, agricul- tural products and foodstuffs having features typically connected to geographical origin and traditional manufacturing methods are much in demand. A growing number of consumers set great store on the quality and diversity of consumed products. Traditional and regional food production and promotion in the European Union is increasingly more important. In 1992, a number of regulations on the registration and pro- tection of this food against adulteration and unjustified use of the name was published. Agricultural products and foodstuffs registered as the Protected Designation of Origin and Protected Geographical Indication are linked to a given area, and Traditional Speciality Guaranteed is distinguished by the traditional production method. Producers manufactur- ing agri-food products according to the specification determined in the application for registration submitted to the European Commission may use the graphic quality sign attesting to its authenticity and guaranteeing its quality. At the same time, consumers get more information enabling to choose among many labelled products. As of 1 May 2004, Poland is a member of the European Union and is covered by the quality schemes for traditional agricultural products and foodstuffs of known origin. The registration and pro- tection of the names of regional and traditional products is based on the European Union law. The Polish provisions, on the other hand, define institutional framework allowing to implement the system on the national level. The paper primarily aims at presentation of traditional and regional food in the aspect of new legal regulations, especially its safety for human health. Chapter I (Regional and traditional products in the European Union – basic legal regulations) discusses the new regulation forming the grounds for registration of regional and traditional products with the European Union as Protected Designation of Origin, Protected Geographical Indication and Traditional Speciality Guaranteed. It aims at protection of regional and traditional agri-food products on the European Union area against unauthorised use of their names or adulteration thereof. Chapter II (Traditional and regional products in the Polish legislation) covers legal regulations on registration of agri-food products and temporary protection of the names of regional and traditional products applying for registration in the European Union. It also discusses the conditions of entering a given product in the List of Tradition- al Products kept by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. 7 According to the EU legislation, each Member State may create its own food qual- ity schemes promoting high-quality food, including regional and traditional food (Chapter III National and regional food quality schemes). Such schemes in Poland include: Quality Tradition, Try Fine Food, Polish food quality schemes for meat products: Quality Meat Program, Pork Quality System, and the Quality Assurance for Food Products which may also include other food products. The paper also covers the Regional system for Maáopolska and Warmia Mazury PowiĞle belonging to the European Network of Regional Culinary Heritage. Products covered by these schemes get their own logo. Chapter IV (Quality and safety of traditional and regional food) draws special at- tention to the safety of regional and traditional food, and to derogations, i.e. exceptions from the legally regulated production (veterinary and hygienic) requirements, for pro- ducers applying the invariable and traditional methods. Given the introduction of more stringent legal regulations pertaining to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons the issue was covered in greater detail. Chapter V (Polish regional and traditional products registered with the European Union and their characteristics) describes regional and traditional food products entered by the European Commission in the register of Protected Designations of Origin and Pro- tected Geographical Indications, and the register of the Traditional Specialities Guaran- teed. Registration and labelling of these products protects them against unauthorised use of their names or adulteration thereof. Chapter VI (Opportunities for and barriers to the development of the market of traditional and regional products in Poland) focuses on factors opening up development opportunities for the market of traditional and regional products in Poland. These include: growing demand for this type of food resulting, primarily, from loss of consumer confi- dence in food produced by industrial methods and their drive at diversification of everyday diet, getting high prices for regional