EN Official Journal of the European Union C 370/10

Publication of an 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 370/07

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.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006

‘WEIDEOCHSE VOM LIMPURGER RIND’

EC No: DE-PDO-0005-0881-17.06.2011

PGI ( ) PDO ( X )

1. Name:

‘Weideochse vom Limpurger Rind’

2. Member State or Third Country:

Germany

3. Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff:

3.1. Type of product:

Class 1. Fresh meat (and offal)

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

Meat obtained from the slaughter of oxen or the cutting up of oxen carcases of the indigenous Limpurg breed of cattle. Born and reared in the geographical area and fed on agricultural products and by-products derived from local agriculture, they are kept on traditional open pastures during the vegetation period.

It is during the final fattening phase, in which the cattle are fed on grain, that the exclusively short-fibred (i.e. tender) meat of the ‘Weideochse vom Limpurger Rind’ develops its delicate marbled quality and achieves an optimal coating of fat. The cattle, which are uniformly yellow in colour, range in hue from pale yellow to reddish yellow and have a minimum age of 30 months at slaughter. The attain a height at the withers of over 140 cm and a slaughter weight of around 340 kg to 450 kg. The meat is highly succulent with a tender texture, yet firm to the bite with a creamy, buttery smoothness in the mouth. It typically has a SEUROP conformation rating of U+ to R–. The overall profile ranges from convex to straight, with very good to good muscle development. The hindquarters range from pronounced to well-developed, the back is rounded to slightly rounded, the shoulder is pronounced to fairly well-developed and the rump ranges from defined to slightly defined. The typical fat coverage and distribution is consistent with a fatness rating of 2– to 4+, i.e. ranging from a minimal, light coating of fat, with well-developed muscle clearly visible all over, to a heavy coating of fat over the muscle on the hindquarters and shoulder, with the muscle still partially visible. The characteristic, typical flavour is a pure and distinctly beefy aroma, which is full-bodied, well-balanced and complex with sweet, floral notes. When fried, the meat has a clear, rich, highly aromatic and lingering aroma of beef with caramel and spicy notes. The sections of the hindquarters and back which are particularly suitable for steaks and quick frying must be allowed to mature on the bone (without being vacuum-packed) for at least 3 weeks.

3.3. Raw materials (for processed products only):

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

The only permitted feed is fodder, grass, green forage, roughage, grass silage, hay, beet and cereals produced in the defined geographical area. The feed must be of a high quality and be produced primarily by the farm which is rearing the cattle. Cereals from the defined geographical area may only be fed to young animals or to animals in the last 4 months of life. The use of genetically modified feed or feed ingredients is prohibited, as is the addition of maize silage, soya or by-products thereof. The cattle are reared in a traditional manner and are allowed to roam freely. It is essential, however, that they graze on pasture during the vegetation period. In accordance with traditional grazing practices, and depending on the rate of grass growth, pasturing in the geographical area begins (weather conditions permitting) from 15 April to 5 May and ends at the earliest on 15 October. In addition to feed, the animals are also given mineral fodder in the form of mineralised salt licks. The mineral feed can be produced outside the geographical area, but the overall percentage of mineral feed as a proportion of dried fodder intake must not exceed 0,5 %.

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

To guarantee the high quality of the meat, which is inextricably linked with its origins, every step in its production and processing (i.e. the birth, rearing, breeding and slaughter of the oxen, and cutting of the carcases) must take place within the defined geographical area. During the vegetation period, the cattle are traditionally raised on pasture and allowed to roam freely. They therefore form an integral part of the landscape in the countryside from which they originate. The use of the animals for the purpose of grazing the sloping grassland as an environmentally-friendly means of conserving the landscape is explicitly encouraged.

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

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3.7. Specific rules concerning labelling:

At all stages of the marketing process, the product must be labelled ‘Weideochse vom Limpurger Rind’. In addition, the label must bear the name and address of the producer and/or their registration number at the protection association and any other information which the protection association deems necessary, in order to guarantee full traceability.

Furthermore, members of the association must also use its logo which bears the inscription ‘Weideochse vom Limpurger Rind’ and a stylised depiction of an oxen’s head together with a representation of a deer’s antler (the deer being the emblem of Württemberg).

4. Concise definition of the geographical area:

The geographical area includes the rural districts of Ostalb, Schwäbisch Hall, Hohenlohe, Rems-Murr and Main Tauber. It also extends further along the river and tributary valleys to the neighbouring municipalities of Wüstenrot and Löwenstein in the rural district of Heilbronn and the municipality of Hardheim in the rural district of Neckar-Odenwald-Kreis.

5. Link with the geographical area:

5.1. Specificity of the geographical area:

The foothills of the Swabian Jura are hilly and are intersected by the Rivers Rems and Lein, with their low-lying tributary valleys. The soil in the distribution area is comprised primarily of residual soils from the geological formation of the Keuper rock strata and the black and brown Jura. The heavy soils which are prevalent in the area and which are low in nutrients are mainly used as permanent grassland. Since the soil is unsuitable for general agriculture, forestry has played an important role in the local economy in previous centuries and continues to do so today. Although light, sandy soils can be found to the north, the most prevalent soil type in the hanging valleys is a heavy, lumpy marl which erodes easily. The altitude of the distribution area ranges from 320 m to over 500 m. The climate is characterised by high levels of precipitation, warm and wet west winds and an average annual temperature of 9 °C. The pastures are mainly situated on hilly ground and feature deep crevices during dry spells. The typical species composition of the predominant type of pasture and grassland includes red clover, hawksbeard, cranesbill and centaurea. The species-rich grassland has a poor to medium hay yield. Small-scale farming structures are typical in the geographical area.

5.2. Specificity of the product:

The ‘Limpurger Rind’ (Limpurg cow) is the oldest surviving breed of cattle indigenous to Württemberg. The indigenous cow is classified as an endangered farm animal and, given its cultural and historical significance to the region, remains a defining feature of the area from which it originates.

The breed takes its name from the former county of Limpurg. The ‘Limpurger Rind’ belongs to the ‘Gelbvieh’ breed and was created during the Thirty Years’ War (1618-48) by cross-breeding the ‘Landvieh’ breed still present at the time in the Jagstgebiet with ‘Allgäuer Vieh’ breed. The first documented references to the breed date back to the 19th century. August von Weckherlin describes the ‘yellow-coloured calves’ of the ‘Limpurg’ breed (Die Rindviehzucht Württembergs, mit Vorschlägen zu deren weiterem Emporbringen- ein Beitrag zur landwirtschaftlichen Beschreibung des Königreichs, J. G. Cottaschen Buchhandlung, 1839, p. 20) He also describes how ‘these fattening cattle were driven to Paris where they were sold as Swabian fatstock’ (Abbildungen der Rindvieh- und anderen Hausthier-Racen auf den Privatgütern Seiner Majestät des Königs von Württemberg nebst angehängter Beschreibung, F. C. Löflund und Sohn, 1827, p. 19).

Towards the end of the 18th century, beef from the Hohenlohe region (known as ‘Boeuf de Hohenlohe’) was highly sought-after in Paris for its tenderness and exquisite flavour. Entire herds of breeds which were common at the time, such as the ‘Limpurger Rind’ and the now extinct ‘Haller Braunblässenschlag’, were driven to France. The last recorded cattle drive to Paris took place in 1913.

The superb quality of meat from the Limpurg breed was already well known in the 19th century. It was described variously as ‘exceptionally tender, succulent and tasty meat’ by H. Sieglin (Die Rinderzucht in Württemberg, A. Müller, 1888, p. 28 onwards) and ‘fine-fibred, marbled, tender and flavoursome, and thus very highly prized’ by August Lydtin and H. Werner (Das deutsche Rind: Beschreibung der in Deutschland heimischen Rinderschläge, Arbeiten der Deutschen Landwirtschafts- Gesellschaft, Issue No 41, Deutsche Landwirtschafts- Ges., Berlin, 1899, p. 487).

This evaluation of the organoleptic qualities of the meat is still valid today (see Gefährdete Nutztierrassen: Ihre Zuchtgeschicte, Nutzung und Bewahrung, by Hans H. Sambraus, Ulmer Verlag, 1999, p. 176-177, and Der Heutige Stand der Zucht des Limpurger Rindes, Dissertation, Hochschule Hohenheim, 1953, p. 41 onwards). Today, the fine-fibred, exquisite meat of purebred Limpurg cattle is highly sought-after for use by top chefs.

The meat of ‘Weideochse vom Limpurger Rind’ is short-fibred throughout, which means that it is tender. It is delicately marbled and has an optimal coating of fat. The meat is highly succulent with a tender texture which is nevertheless firm to the bite with a creamy, buttery smoothness in the mouth. The distinctive, typical flavour is clear, beefy, full-bodied, well-balanced and complex with sweet, floral notes. When fried, the meat has a clear, rich, highly aromatic and lingering aroma of beef with caramel and spicy notes.

In November 2005, the ‘Weideochse vom Limpurger Rind’ was selected for inclusion in Slow Food Deutschland e.V.’s ‘Ark of Taste’. This was on the basis of its exceptionally fine flavour which is a result of its origins and the sustainable manner in which it is farmed (e.g. natural pastures, minimal transportation, humane slaughter, maturing of the meat on the bone). In April 2009 the ‘Weideochse vom Limpurger Rind’ was also given ’Presidia project’ status (conservation project/promotion initiative) by the Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity.

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 harsh climate, the vegetation which grows in the residual soils and the small-scale farming structures prevalent in the region have contributed to the development of a resilient, easily maintained local breed, the characteristics of which are ideally suited to the chalky, nutrient-poor soils. As early as 1878, it was stated in the Württembergische Wochenblatt für Landwirtschaft that: ‘If the “Limpurger Rind” is moved to a different region, it may continue to produce high milk yields for several years to come. Its offspring, however, will not produce such high milk yields (even if they, too, are purebred and reared using the finest materials), nor will they be as elegant or as shapely’ (Kgl. Württ. Zentralstelle für Landwirtschaft Stuttgart, 1878, p. 335).

When combined with this indigenous breed, the unique properties of the soil and the climate of the geographical area have a direct impact on the quality of the meat of the ‘Weideochse vom Limpurger Rind’. The cattle, which are raised on free-range pastures, are particularly well-adapted to the harsh climate and difficult conditions in the geographical area and to the locally produced fodder. The exceptional quality of this fine-fibred meat, its fat coverage and distribution and its flavour and aroma are inextricably linked with the manner in which the animals area reared and their feeding habits. The unique organoleptic qualities for which the meat of the indigenous ‘Limpurger Rind’ is renowned are a direct result of the weather and soil conditions in the geographical area, the fact that the cattle are put out to pasture during the vegetation period, that they are fed on fodder produced in the geographical area, that they are not slaughtered before the age of 30 months, and that the meat is allowed to mature on the bone for around 3 weeks.

The ‘Weideochse vom Limpurger Rind’ must be purebred and of a standard high enough for entry in the government-recognised and monitored ‘Zuchtbuch für Limpurger Rinder’ (Limpurg Cow Herd Book). This helps to safeguard the gene pool which is responsible for the particular characteristics of this breed for the future.

Reference to the publication of the specification:

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

Markenblatt Vol. 14 of 9 April 2010, Part 7a-aa/c, p. 5753

http://register.dpma.de/DPMAregister/geo/detail.pdfdownload/14400

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