Publication of an application for registration of a name 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

(2022/C 454/08)

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) within three months from the date of this publication.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘Slavonska kobasica’

EU No: PGI-HR-02441-17.10.2018

PDO ( ) PGI (X)

1. Name(s) [of PDO or PGI]

‘Slavonska kobasica’

2. Member State or Third Country

Croatia

3. Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1. Type of product

1.2. Meat products (cooked, salted, smoked, etc.)

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

‘Slavonska kobasica’ is a fermented preserved sausage made from ground pork meat and fat (the proportion of meat is at least 70 %), with added cooking salt and herbs (sweet and hot paprika, ground pepper and garlic), which is stuffed into a pig’s small intestine. The production process lasts at least 45 days, during which the stuffed pig’s small intestine (the raw ‘Slavonska kobasica’) undergoes the processes of fermentation, smoking, drying and maturing, in that order. ‘Slavonska kobasica’ is produced throughout the year. ‘Slavonska kobasica’ has an elongated cylindrical shape. Each sausage in a pair is at least 35 cm in length and 2–3 cm in diameter; the casing is a dark brown to reddish colour without any blemishes, surface mould, wrinkles or damage; the texture is firm and elastic without being rubbery; it lends itself well to slicing, is easy to chew and does not crumble when being sliced; the cross-section of the filling is brown to dark red, except for the fatty tissue, which may be a white to orange colour; the cross-section has a mosaic appearance thanks to the even distribution and size of the pieces of meat and fatty tissue; in the cross section the filling appears to be compacted, with no holes or cracks, and there is no pronounced dark rim directly under the casing; it has the smell of the smoke of ash, hornbeam or beech on the outside and of fermented meat and garlic on the inside; its taste is a harmonious combination of fermented meat, salt, garlic, paprika and ground pepper, which gives it a slightly spicy flavour, with no bitterness or acidity.

The physico-chemical properties of ‘Slavonska kobasica’ are:

Fat content ≤ 40 % and

Water activity (aw) < 0,90

One pair of ‘Slavonska kobasica’ must weigh at least 450 g. ‘Slavonska kobasica’ may be sold whole or prepacked (sliced).

3.3. Feed (for products of animal origin only) and raw materials (for processed products only)

‘Slavonska kobasica’ is made from ground pork meat and fat obtained either from fattened pigs or from sows not designated for breeding that are at least 12 months old and have a final body weight of at least 140 kg. It is permitted to use the meat and fat of autochthonous breeds of black Slavonian pig and the meat of pure pig breeds and their crossbreeds (except for hybrid pigs, the Piétrain breed and its crossbreeds). The filling of ‘Slavonska kobasica’ is composed of at least 70 % category-II and III pork (shoulder meat without forelegs, neck, flank or breast). Up to 30 % of the category-II and III meat may be replaced with category-I meat (leg without shank, back muscle). Apart from the meat, firm fatty tissue may account for up to 30 % of the filling of ‘Slavonska kobasica’. The casing must be made from cleaned and drained pig’s small intestine (L. intestinum tenue), which, before it is hung on wooden poles, is twisted once at midpoint and then folded back to form two equal halves (a process known as pairing). The filling of ‘Slavonska kobasica’, i.e. ground meat, is seasoned with cooking salt, sweet and hot paprika, ground pepper and garlic, and then homogenised by mixing.

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

The entire process for producing ‘Slavonska kobasica’, comprising the preparation of the filling, fermentation, smoking, drying and maturing, must take place in the geographical area defined in point 4.

3.5. Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc. of the product the registered name refers to

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3.6. Specific rules concerning labelling of the product the registered name refers to

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4. Concise definition of the geographical area

‘Slavonska kobasica’ must be produced within the administrative area of the following counties, towns and municipalities in the region of Slavonia:

1. Only in the following towns and municipalities of Osijek-Baranja County: the towns of Belišće, Donji Miholjac, Đakovo, Našice, Osijek and Valpovo; the municipalities of Antunovac, Bizovac, Čepin, Donja Motičina, Drenje, Đurđenovac, Erdut, Ernestinovo, Feričanci, Gorjani, Koška, Levanjska Varoš, Magadenovac, Marijanci, Podravska Moslavina, Petrijevci, Podgorač, Punitovci, Satnica Đakovačka, Semeljci, Strizivojna, Šodolovci, Trnava, Viljevo, Viškovci, Vladislavci and Vuka.

2. Anywhere in Vukovar-Syrmia County.

3. Anywhere in Slavonski Brod-Posavina County.

4. Anywhere in Virovitica-Podravina County.

5. Anywhere in Požega-Slavonia County.

The region of Slavonia is located in north-eastern Croatia and is bounded by three rivers: the Drava to the north (the border with Hungary), the Sava to the south (the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina) and the Danube to the east (the border with Serbia).

5. Link with the geographical area

The link between ‘Slavonska kobasica’ and the geographical area is based on the long-standing reputation enjoyed by the product.

Slavonia is Croatia’s main agricultural region. In addition to its fertile agricultural land, it is rich in woodland (oak forests) and pastures, which has long favoured the development of agricultural and livestock production, especially pig farming. The development of pig-farming in Slavonia began after the region was liberated from the Ottomans, focusing initially on the production of bacon and fat. Later, during the time of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, the planned settlement of the area by Germans, Hungarians and Czechs began, whose experience helped develop the butcher’s trade in Slavonia, and whose know-how and expertise in the production of sausage and dried meat was imparted on the farms of Slavonia.

‘Slavonska kobasica’ earned its reputation from its traditional recipe, which is used to this day and plays a key role in the development of its specific organoleptic characteristics. The traditional recipe for ‘Slavonska kobasica’, i.e. its ingredients, comprises ground pork meat (min. 70 %), firm fatty tissue and the natural seasoning typically used in Slavonian gastronomy (cooking salt, garlic, pepper, hot and sweet paprika). The smoking of ‘Slavonska kobasica’ – which also forms part of the traditional production method – contributes towards the success of the fermentation and drying of ‘Slavonska kobasica’. Smoke formed from the incomplete combustion (smouldering) of sawdust or shavings of ash, hornbeam or beech hardwood, where the temperature of the smoke should not exceed 25 °C, helps ‘Slavonska kobasica’ acquire its distinctive smell of smoke, fermented meat and garlic. Sweet but especially hot paprika, which is added in different quantities according to the consumer’s demands, also contributes to the taste of ‘Slavonska kobasica’.

The reputation of ‘Slavonska kobasica’ is demonstrated by its traditional use as a prized gift or at key church festivities, such as the blessing of vineyards on St Vincent’s Day, when it would be hung on vines as a sign of fertility. This custom, which is of great significance for Slavonia, lives on to this day and has been reported on by various media, including the following extract from the website Požeški vodič: ‘A snowy winter’s night, the crackling of fire and sounds of the tamburica […] Istrian ham, fish, cheese and Slavonska kobasica, scones, fritters […] and home-made wine that invigorates the soul – that’s tonight’s St. Vincent’s Day celebration in Velika!’ (Požeški vodič (2019), Vinkovo u Velikoj); or the following article from the website of Virovitica-Podravina County: ‘Afterwards, the vineyard was blessed by the parish priest of Orahovica […], while the host [...] sprinkled the vines and the Slavonian sausages with wine […] so that the year be fertile and fruitful. After the ceremony, the sounds of Slavonian singers reverberated as the guests gathered around a fire beneath Papuk Mountain and sipped on excellent wine from Orahovica.’ (Virovitica-Podravina County (2020), Neka vinogradarska godina bude rodna i plodna [May the wine-growing year be fertile and fruitful]).

With the development of rural tourism, especially over recent decades, ‘Slavonska kobasica’ has become an indispensable part of Slavonia’s culinary offering that features on almost all restaurant menus, and there is increasing interest in its commercial production. The reputation of ‘Slavonska kobasica’ and its significance for Slavonia are evidenced by the fact that since 2014, as part of its life-long education programme, the Faculty of Food Technology in Osijek has offered training for producers of ‘Slavonska kobasica’ on family farms.

The reputation of ‘Slavonska kobasica’ is further attested to by the fact that its producers have been invited to take part in a variety of trade fairs. At the largest national competition for sausage producers, traditionally held in Istria as part of the international fair ‘S klobasicom u EU’, producers of ‘Slavonska kobasica’ have seen off competition from more than 70 producers of sausages of different kinds to win titles and silver and gold medals, as reported on by various media, including Radio Slavonija and the news website of the town of Županja. In an article entitled ‘Our family farms at the 6th international fair “S klobasicom u Europu” in Istria’, Radio Slavonija reports that one producer from Slavonski Brod-Posavina County won the gold medal for ‘Slavonska kobasica’ (Radio Slavonija, 6.3.2018). In an article entitled ‘Success at the “S klobasicom u EU” – Sausages from Posavina County win the gold medal’, Županjac – the news website of the town of Županja – reports that ‘producers from Posavina County blew the competition away’, with two producers winning the gold and two the silver medal for ‘Slavonska kobasica’. (Županjac, 7.3.2018) The television programme ‘Boje Zemlje’ reports that ‘Farmer Zvonko Arić won the championship title for Slavonska kobasica’ (9.4.2019), while the website ‘Agroklub’ headlines with ‘Slavonians win at the “S klobasicom u Europu” fair’ (8.3.2018). The reputation of ‘Slavonska kobasica’ has also been enhanced by traditional events and producer competitions, including the sausage festivals ‘Kobasicijada’ in Donji Miholjac and ‘Donjogradska kobasijada’ in Osijek, where ‘Slavonska kobasica’ is promoted, tasted and judged. These festivals receive thousands of visitors and have been covered by numerous media reports.

Further evidence of the reputation of ‘Slavonska kobasica’ is the fact that its production technique, quality and compliance with health and safety requirements has been the subject of numerous studies, the findings of which have been published in reputable scientific journals.

In the university textbook Tehnologija kulena i drugih fermentiranih kobasica [Production technique of kulen salami and other fermented sausages], which is required reading at the faculties of food technology, an entire chapter is devoted to the production technique for ‘Slavonska kobasica’ (D. Kovačević 2014, Faculty of Food Technology, Osijek).

The reputation of ‘Slavonska kobasica’ is also attested to by a survey carried out between December 2016 and April 2017, the findings of which indicate that ‘Slavonska kobasica’ is recognised by consumers as one of the three most important culinary or traditional meat products of Slavonia and Baranja (>80 %). Also, more than 70 % of respondents would rather consume ‘Slavonska kobasica’ than other meat products from other areas, mainly because of its specific, spicy taste that distinguishes it from other sausages (53,57 %), its long tradition of production (57,59 %) and the fact that it is produced in the Slavonia and Baranja region (71,78 %) (Izvješće o provedbi anketnog ispitivanja tržišta potrebnog za izradu specifikacije proizvoda ‘SLAVONSKA KOBASICA’ [Report on the market survey carried out for the purpose of the product specification for ‘Slavonska kobasica’]).

Reference to publication of the specification

https://poljoprivreda.gov.hr/UserDocsImages/dokumenti/hrana/zoi-zozp-zts/dokumenti-zoi-zozp-zts/SPECIFIKACIJA%20SLAVONSKA%20KOBASICA.pdf

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