EN Official Journal of the European Union C 101/10

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

(2014/C 101/08)

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

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006

on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs (2)

‘JAMÓN DE SERÓN’

EC No: ES-PGI-0005-01052 – 29.10.2012

PGI ( X ) PDO ( )

1. Name

‘Jamón de Serón’

2. Member State or Third Country

Spain

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 product to which the name in 1 applies

This product is defined as cured ham from the hind legs of pigs (neutered males and females) belonging to any one of the following breeds or crosses thereof: Duroc, Large White, Landrace, Blanco Belga, Pietrain or Chato Murciano breeds or cross-breeds among them. It is prepared by means of a natural drying and maturation process, has a round shape and the trotter attached and is with or without rind; where the rind is removed, this is done by means of a V-shaped cut. The product is red and shiny when cut, with partial fat infiltration into the muscle tissue. The meat has a slightly sweet flavour, is lightly salted and has a medium to intense aroma. The fat has a fatty consistency, is shiny and yellowish-white in colour, and has a sweet flavour and intense aroma.

It is marketed under either of the following categories:

as a category S-XVI ham, with a minimum weight of 7 kg and a preparation time of more than 16 months, or

as a category S-XX ham, with a minimum weight of 8 kg and a preparation time of more than 20 months.

For categories, the natural drying and maturation process under the environmental conditions of Serón must take at least 12 months.

The salt content: Maximum of 5 % (sodium chloride) expressed in terms of fresh or natural substance (s.s.f), analysed on a cross-cut portion of the ham taken 4 cm from the top of the femur and without rind. Over the course of the entire process the weight of the hams must diminish by at least 35 %. Failing that, the hams must undergo curing for at least two months longer than the minimum established curing time. The weight of hams in which a V-shaped cut has been made after they have been accepted for curing must be reduced by an additional 3 %.

The product may be packaged, thoroughly deboned or well-sliced provided its quality and traceability can be guaranteed.

3.3. Raw materials (for processed products only)

Hind legs: Hind legs of pigs belonging to any one of the following breeds or cross-breeds thereof: Duroc, Large White, Landrace, Blanco Belga, Pietrain and Chato Murciano.

The weight of a leg before bleeding must be at least 11 kg (including the rind) for it to be eligible to be processed into a category S-XVI ham and at least 12,5 kg (including the rind) for it to be eligible to be processed into a category S-XX ham. The hind legs must come from either neutered males or females.

The thickness of fat must be 2,5 cm for a ham with rind and 2 cm for a ham with a V-shaped cut. The fat must be examined at the point where the shank and the flat of the blade meet ‘such as to form a triangular edge’.

Lard. Lard from the same pig is used to ensure that the quality of the product is preserved throughout the preparation process and to maintain good presentation.

3.4. Feed (for products of animal origin only)

—

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

The steps in the process of producing Jamón de Serón, which must take place in the defined geographical area, are listed below in chronological order:

1. Acceptance of the hind legs.

2. First bleeding.

3. Salting.

4. Washing.

5. Second bleeding.

6. Post-salting.

7. Natural drying and maturing.

8. Larding and finishing.

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

—

3.7. Specific rules concerning labelling

The PGI carries a label design or mark affixed to the finished product, whether it be packaged or exposed.

The words ‘Protected Geographical Indication “Jamón de Serón”’ must be displayed prominently on the labels and commercial packaging used for the protected ham. The labels must be numbered sequentially and each product must bear its own unique number, exclusively for the purpose of guaranteeing the traceability of the certified product.

4. Concise definition of the geographical area

‘Jamón de Serón’ is made exclusively within the municipality of Serón, which covers an area of 167 km2.

5. Link with the geographical area

The link between the product and the area of production owes as much to the effects of specific environmental characteristics on the product as to the product’s reputation.

5.1. Specificity of the geographical area

Natural factors:

The River Almanzora basin, in which the municipality of Serón is situated, has a predominantly desert- and steppe-like climate and can be considered the most arid river basin in all of continental Europe.

Serón is situated within the River Almanzora basin (in the province of Almería), on the southern side of the Iberian Peninsula’s eastern coastal region (the Levante), which is considered south-eastern Spain’s subdesert region. It is characterised by values of between 0,2 and 0,5 on the aridity index, an overabundance of solar energy, with an average of 3 000 hours of sunshine per year, and scant rainfall, with average precipitation of less than 400 mm per year. The aridity of the climate is a consequence of the area being located in the south-east of Spain behind the Sierras Subbéticas of eastern Andalusia, which act as a barrier to the Atlantic low-pressure systems responsible for bringing rain as they cross the Iberian Peninsula from west to east.

In addition, the steppe-like quality of the climate of Serón is a consequence of its specific geographical setting within the River Almanzora valley, at the valley’s upper end on the north side of the Sierra de los Filabres, at an altitude of between 800 and 900 metres. The natural environment is typified by Mediterranean vegetation of semi-mountainous areas and a particular micro-climate characterised by a dry atmosphere with reduced relative ambient humidity (an average relative humidity in summer of 55 % and 70 % in winter), low mean winter temperatures (of between 4,6 and – 5,5 °C) but without frequent frosts, and cool summers with a mean temperature of less than 23 °C. Normally this area is affected by large interseasonal and intraseasonal temperature fluctuations (of between 18 and 19 °C). Finally, and most importantly for the natural drying and maturation process to which the meat products are subjected, the north-westerly winds are constant, mild and dry throughout the year, with a velocity of between 5 and 7 m/s, and there is a high degree of insolation (3 000 hours of sunshine per year).

The combination of all these natural factors creates climatic conditions which are very conducive to the natural drying and maturation of Jamón de Serón.

Human factors:

The large size and high fat content typical of traditional Jamón de Serón have their origin in the selection and domestic rearing practices laid down in the Ordenanzas del Concejo de Serón (Municipal Ordinances of Serón) governing pig rearing and slaughter, which date from the 16th century and lasted until the 20th century. The practice of selecting large breeds of pigs and rearing them for at least one year before slaughtering them at home has traditionally resulted in large hams with a high level of fat infiltration and a thick layer of fat. The traditional practice of producing a product with a thick layer of fat has persisted to this very day. In all the drying houses of Serón, it is still pork with these characteristics that is selected to prepare a genuine ‘Jamón de Serón’.

5.2. Specificity of the product

The specific characteristics of ‘Jamón de Serón’ linked to the production process may be summarised as follows:

— The ‘jamón de Serón’ is traditionally large and fatty, produced over a long curing period, lasting at least 16 or 20 months, depending on the weight of the leg of pork. At least 12 months of this natural drying and maturation process must take place under the environmental conditions of Serón.

— The ‘Jamón de Serón’ characteristically has a sweet flavour and low salt content, as well as a very intense aroma. The fat of the ham partially infiltrates into the muscle tissue, leading to the development of the ham’s typical aromas during the natural drying and maturation process. This is a particular characteristic of the product, which the master ham-makers of Serón refer to as ‘jamón caliente’.

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 causal link with the geographical area is based on the specific characteristics of the product, though the prominent reputation of the product reinforces this causal link.

Causal link between the specific characteristics of the product and the geographical area

A large and fatty ham with a long curing period

The characteristics that typify traditional Jamón de Serón — its large size and high fat content — have their origin in the domestic pig-rearing and slaughtering practices and method of curing hams that have been preserved amongst the people of Serón since the 16th century.

Because of the large size of the piece of meat and its thick layer of fat, the ham needs to be cured for long periods, i.e. for more than 16 months, and even 20 months for pieces of meat which are particularly heavy, in order to obtain a product which has lost at least the requisite minimum of 35 % of its initial weight. This long curing period ensures a natural drying and maturation process of at least 12 months under the environmental conditions of Serón, thus allowing the ham to pass through all the seasons of the year and all possible fluctuations of temperature (with a mean temperature of 4,6 °C in December and 23 °C in July) and moisture (a relative humidity of 55 % in summer and 70 % in winter), which in turn ensures liquefaction of the fat, infiltration and biochemical processes associated with the lean parts of the ham, which are essential for developing the aromatic load typical of the ‘Jamón de Serón’.

This characteristic of the product, a result of the interaction of natural and human factors, has a bearing on various specific physical, chemical and organoleptic characteristics: ham with a sweet taste and low salt content, and ham with intense aromas.

Ham with a sweet taste and low salt content

The traditional practice of curing the Jamón de Serón is directly related to the selection of the raw material with a high fat content as well as with the specific microclimate of Serón. Both factors allow the amount of salt used to be minimised in order to achieve the microbiological and enzymatic stability necessary for the ham during the curing process. This helps give the final product certain specific characteristics: ham with a sweet taste and low salt content.

The fat cover of the ham protects the lean parts from microbial change and, in addition, contributes molecules to the biochemical assembly that occurs between the fatty and lean parts and imparts the sweet flavour to the final product.

Two environmental factors in Serón facilitate the dehydration of the ham throughout the entire curing process and in particular during the drying and maturation phase under natural conditions by reducing water activity and thereby inhibiting bacterial growth and enzyme activity as the process unfolds:

— low levels of relative ambient humidity throughout the year (an average relative humidity of 55 % in summer and 70 % in winter) give the ham a high humidity gradient, which facilitates loss of water from the ham and brings about a reduction in water activity (Aw),

— constant, mild and dry winds throughout the year permit a continuous renewal of air, which removes the surface layer of humidity around the ham, thereby facilitating the natural dehydration process and a reduction in water activity (Aw).

Ham with intense aromas

The hams’ fatty exudate (‘sweat’) is a peculiar characteristic of the natural drying and maturation process which takes place under the environmental conditions in Serón. It is a peculiarity of the curing process and a crucial determinant of the distinctive quality of the final product. The significant interseasonal and intraseasonal temperature fluctuations found in Serón permit the threshold of minimum temperatures (between 22 and 26 °C) for liquefaction of the fat fraction of the ham to be reached. This, coupled with low relative ambient humidity of less than 75 % throughout the year, facilitates exudation or sweating of the ham’s internal fat onto the exterior of the piece of meat, causing the fat to infiltrate the muscle mass and subsequently bringing about a biochemical melding of fats and proteins. This melding, which develops naturally while the ham dries and matures, is responsible for the intense and particular aroma of the ‘Jamón de Serón’. This is a particular characteristic of the product which the master ham-makers of Serón refer to as ‘jamón caliente’.

Reference to the publication of the specification

(Article 5(7) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 (3))

The full text of the Product Specification is available at:

http://www.juntadeandalucia.es/agriculturaypesca/portal/export/sites/default/comun/galerias/galeriaDescargas/cap/industrias-agroalimentarias/denominacion-de-origen/Pliegos/Pliego_Jamon_Seron.pdf

or via the homepage of the Regional Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development (http://www.juntadeandalucia.es/agriculturaypesca/portal), by following the navigation pathway: ‘Industrias Agroalimentarias’ > ‘Calidad y Promoción’ > ‘Denominaciones de Calidad’ > ‘Jamones y Paletas’; the specifications are located under the name of the Quality Designation.

(1) OJ L 343, 14.12.2012, p. 1.

(2) OJ L 93, 31.3.2006, p. 12. Replaced by Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.

(3) See footnote 2.