EN Official Journal of the European Union C 367/13

Publication of an amendment application pursuant to Article 6(2) of Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs

2012/C 367/07

This publication confers the right to object to the application pursuant to Article 7 of Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 (1). Statements of objection must reach the Commission within six months of the date of this publication.

AMENDMENT APPLICATION

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006

AMENDMENT APPLICATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH ARTICLE 9

‘CHUFA DE VALENCIA’

EC No: ES-PDO-0105-0936-09.01.2012

PGI ( ) PDO ( X )

1. Heading in the product specification affected by the amendment:

—  Name of product — ☒ Description of product — ☒ Geographical area —  Proof of origin —  Method of production —  Link —  Labelling —  National requirements —  Other (to be specified)

2. Type of amendment(s):

— ☒ Amendment to single document or summary sheet —  Amendment to specification of registered PDO or PGI for which neither the single document nor the summary sheet has been published —  Amendment to specification that requires no amendment to the published single document (Article 9(3) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006) —  Temporary amendment to specification resulting from imposition of obligatory sanitary or phytosanitary measures by public authorities (Article 9(4) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006)

3. Amendment(s):

3.1. Description:

— The minimum specifications for the fresh tigernut tubers have been deleted. Reasons: fresh tubers come in a wide variety of sizes and weights. The fresh tigernut is never sold directly to the consumer, nor does it bear the PDO stamp. It is the selection process for the dried tigernuts that should ensure the minimum size.

— The composition in terms of weight in dry matter has been amended to read as follows: sugars: at least 11 %; fats: at least 25 %; proteins: at least 6,5 %; starch: at least 25 %; raw fibre: at least 5 %. Reasons: to increase the quality of ‘Chufa de Valencia’ and to adjust the ranges of values with as much information as is available. Starch: it has been decided to retain the lower limit but delete the upper limit, as a starch content higher than 40 % has no negative effect either on the quality of the tuber or on the quality of the tigernut milk. Sugars: the lower limit set in the previous regulation has been retained and the upper limit deleted, as a sugar content higher than 17,5 % does not adversely affect either the quality of the tuber or that of the products made with tigernuts as the raw material. Fats: the higher the fat content of the tigernut, the higher its yield will be and the higher its quality, which is why it has been decided to delete the upper limit and retain the lower limit. Protein: it was decided to delete the upper limit and retain the lower limit, because, far from reducing the quality of the tuber, a protein content higher than the maximum limit set gives it added value. Fibre: tigernuts have a significant fibre content, which is why this must be taken into account when describing the characteristics that protected tigernuts must have.

— The following types of tigernuts will be protected: fresh tigernuts, dried tigernuts and selected dried tigernuts. (The terms ‘Chufa seca cosechero’ and ‘Chufa seca granza’ have been deleted.)

— Reason: the deleted terms have fallen into complete disuse and are covered by the term ‘selected dried tigernuts’.

— The moisture content for dried tigernuts is between 6,5 % and 12 %. (The lower moisture limit has been reduced from 7,5 % to 6,5 %.)

— Reason: the quality of the tigernut is unchanged and it keeps better because it is less susceptible to attack by fungi.

— The minimum size of selected dried tigernuts has been changed to 3 mm.

— Reason: measurements of the size of the tubers show that, once it has reached 3 mm, a tigernut is already suitable for sale, passes through commercial sieves and has exactly the same chemical characteristics as larger tigernuts.

3.2. Geographical area:

— It is proposed to extend the production area to include the municipalities of Massalfassar, Museros and Emperador. Reason: these three villages have the same link to the cultivation of tigernuts as the other 16 villages that are already covered; they have the same soil and climate and the same knowledge and tradition with regard to this crop.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006

‘CHUFA DE VALENCIA’

EC No: ES-PDO-0105-0936-09.01.2012

PGI ( ) PDO ( X )

1. Name:

‘Chufa de Valencia’

2. Member State or Third Country:

Spain

3. Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff:

3.1. Type of product:

Class 1.8. Other products of Annex I to the Treaty (spices, etc.)

3.2. Description of product to which the name in point 1 applies:

Name: ‘Chufa de Valencia’

Description: tuber of the yellow nutsedge variety (Cyperus esculentus L. var. sativus Boeck.), of various shapes and sizes, with a thin skin, suberised tissue and a high fat and sugar content.

‘Chufa de Valencia’ is the harvested, washed, dried (moisture content of between 6,5 % and 12 %) and selected (size greater than 3 mm) tigernut.

The tigernuts selected must have a typical appearance and must be sound, intact, clean and free from any blemishes which might affect their edibility or keeping quality.

Under the designation of origin, ‘Chufa de Valencia’ has the following chemical composition in terms of weight in dry matter:

— sugars: at least 11 %,

— fats: at least 25 %,

— protein: at least 6,5 %,

— starch: at least 25 %,

— raw fibre: at least 5 %.

3.3. Raw materials (for processed products only):

—

3.4. Feed (for products of animal origin only):

—

3.5. Specific steps in production that must take place in the identified geographical area:

The specific steps in tigernut production that must take place in the identified area are as follows:

— planting, which takes place between March and June, and harvesting, which takes place from the end of October,

— washing and drying of the tigernuts, which takes place over a period of three months. The climate of the area and the know-how of the experienced farmers are key to ensuring that the artisanal drying of the product is carried out correctly and that the tubers reach the desired final composition,

— cleaning, during which the dried tigernuts undergo a further cleaning process in order to eliminate defective tubers. Owing to the long experience of the local producers, this cleaning operation totally eliminates all tubers that do not meet the appropriate conditions,

— sorting and classification, during which the dried and cleaned tigernuts are sorted to eliminate crop remains and tigernuts damaged by pests or other causes and then, where necessary, classified by size. These are the last steps in obtaining the final product described in Section 3.2. The producers’ knowledge of the tigernut, together with the techniques that have been developed and the means put in place, ensures that the tigernuts are sorted and classified satisfactorily to produce the final product.

3.6. Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc.:

—

3.7. Specific rules concerning labelling:

—

4. Concise definition of the geographical area:

The production area for the protected tigernuts is in l’Horta Nord de Valencia and includes the following municipalities: Albalat dels Sorells, Alboraya, Albuixech, Alfara del Patriarca, Almàssera, Bonrepós i Mirambell, Burjassot, Emperador, Foios, Godella, Massalfassar, Meliana, Moncada, Museros, Paterna, Rocafort, Tavernes Blanques, Valencia and Vinalesa.

It is a flat area typical of the coastal sedimentary areas around the Mediterranean sea. It has a Mediterranean climate with a high relative humidity and little variation in temperature during the day, owing to its proximity to the sea.

5. Link with the geographical area:

5.1. Specificity of the geographical area:

Natural factors

— Relief: flat, typical of the coastal sedimentary areas around the Mediterranean sea.

— Soil: well-drained and level loamy sand. Light, loose soils, fine sands, free from weeds.

— Climate: Mediterranean, with high relative humidity and little variation in temperature during the day, owing to the proximity of the sea, which acts as a heat sink. The high relative humidity is favourable for the crop, given the low rainfall in this region.

— Hydrology: area with low rainfall (approximately 400 mm per year). The production area is irrigated by a network of irrigation channels, which are sourced from the river Turia and are used during the summer.

Human factors

The tigernut was brought to Spain by the Arabs in the 8th century as a delicately flavoured product and as the basis for the refreshing drink obtained by crushing the tigernuts. In the 13th century, under the influence of Islamic culture, tigernut growing spread to the Mediterranean part of what is now the Community of Valencia. In 1975, A.J. Cavanilles mentioned the existence of 15 ha of tigernuts in Alboraya and Almàssera and referred to their cultivation and consumption. Numerous studies have been published by local researchers on the tigernut, its characteristics, its microbiology and the drink obtained by crushing the tigernuts.

Tigernut growing is traditional in this area and is of great socioeconomic importance, as it is the main means of subsistence for more than 500 farmers, who have extensive expertise in managing the crop, expertise that is crucial when it comes to preparing the soil, planting, managing the crop, harvesting and drying in order to obtain a final product of the highest quality.

5.2. Specificity of the product:

Of the chemical parameters that determine the quality of the tigernut, the fat and protein content are the main factors that differentiate the quality of Valencian tigernuts from those grown elsewhere, which have a lower fat and protein content than Valencian tigernuts. Furthermore, Valencian tigernuts have a thinner skin than those grown elsewhere. Thus, the Valencian tigernut is sweeter and more intense in flavour, has a thinner skin and is larger and more uniform in size.

5.3. Causal link between the geographical area and the quality or characteristics of the product (for PDO) or a specific quality, the reputation or other characteristic of the product (for PGI):

The climate of the area has a decisive impact on the germination, development and production of the tigernut and, in conjunction with the soil conditions, which are chiefly the result of the accumulation of beach sand over the years, creates the ideal environment for that development and for the size and quality of the tubers, which are sweeter and more intense in flavour, have a thinner skin and are larger and more uniform in size.

Growing this product requires high average temperatures of between 13 °C and 25 °C and the absence of frosts during the growing period so that the tuber can germinate and develop. Moreover, the high relative humidity is favourable for the crop, given the low rainfall in this region. All of these conditions are present in the area covered by the PDO, as already shown in Section 5.1.

The human factor, namely the know-how of the experienced farmers in the production area who grow the crop, also determines the quality of the product. In particular, rotation of the tigernut crop with other Mediterranean market garden products and efficient weed control, in conjunction with the other key steps in the growing process, are essential in order to obtain tigernuts of sufficient quality.

The processes that follow the harvest, in particular the slow and careful artisanal drying process, which alters the chemical composition of the tigernut tubers, give ‘Chufa de Valencia’ its unique and characteristic properties.

Reference to the publication of the specification:

(Article 5(7) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006)

http://www.agricultura.gva.es/pc_chufadevalencia

(1) OJ L 93, 31.3.2006, p. 12.