EN Official Journal of the European Union C 432/8

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 432/07)

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)

‘PATATA ROSSA DI COLFIORITO’

EC No: IT-PGI-0005-01236-2.6.2014

IGP ( X ) DOP ( )

1. Name

‘Patata Rossa di Colfiorito’

2. Member State or Third Country

Italy

3. Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1. Product Type

Class 1.6. Fruit, vegetables and cereals, fresh or processed

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

The name ‘Patata Rossa di Colfiorito’ denotes the ripe tubers of the Solanum tuberosum species (Solanum tuberosum L.; 2n = 4x = 48) of the Solanaceae family, which are grown from the basic seed varieties catalogued in the national registers of varieties of the Member States of the European Union and have a characteristic red skin and light yellow flesh.

The typical features and recognisability of the tubers are determined by the following characteristics:

— whole tubers completely covered in skin and free of blemishes,

— an elongated oval and irregular shape,

— sound, i.e. products affected by rotting, other diseases or deterioration such as to make them unfit for consumption may not be present,

— free of frost damage,

— free of any smell and/or taste differing from their normal characteristics,

— skin of a typical red colour,

— any eyes to be superficial and easily removable.

The reference values guaranteeing the product’s characterisation are as follows:

— Diameter size: minimum of 35 mm

— Firmness: Compression test (shear stress) > 1,2 kgf/cm2

— Total phenolic compound content > 300 mg/kg

— Characteristic red skin colour — Colour (X, Y, Z) dimensionless: — X > 13 dimensionless; — Y > 12 dimensionless; — Z > 6 dimensionless.

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 defined geographical area

All steps in the production of the ‘Patata Rossa di Colfiorito’, from sowing to harvesting, must take place in the identified geographical area.

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

The harvested potatoes are placed in warehouses designed to ensure the necessary conditions for the proper storage of the tubers by enabling the surface of the tubers to dry as soon as they arrive and any damage to them caused during harvesting to heal and by preventing condensation from forming on their surface. Inside the warehouses, the potatoes can be placed in large aerated nylon sacks or in crates. However, it is permitted to store them using modern storage technology in accordance with current rules. Products designed to prevent sprouting are not permitted during storage.

Packaging is in packages that can be recognised by their red colour.

3.7. Specific rules concerning labelling

The labelling and containers must bear the wording ‘Patata Rossa di Colfiorito I.G.P.’ in printed letters of the same size and the EU logo; labelling may not contain any other words in larger letters.

In order to ensure easy recognition by consumers, this wording must meet the following print specification:

(a) Wording: Patata Rossa di Colfiorito IGP;

(b) Font type: Bodoni MT Black;

(c) Pantone colour to be used in the logo: Red 032.

Packaging labels must also contain full information allowing the following to be identified:

(a) the name and address, or company name and registered office, of the individual producer or association of producers and the packer;

(b) the appropriate mark for produce intended to be marketed abroad;

(c) any additional information that is not of a laudatory nature and does not mislead the consumer as to the nature and characteristics of the product.

4. Concise definition of the geographical area

Farming of the ‘Patata Rossa di Colfiorito’ is permitted at a minimum altitude of 470 m above sea level and takes place in an area of the Apennines straddling Umbria and Marche between the east of the Province of Perugia and the west of the Province of Macerata. The area partially covers the municipalities of Foligno, Nocera Umbra, Valtopina and Sellano (Umbria) and Serravalle di Chienti, Muccia, Pieve Torina, Sefro, Visso and Montecavallo (Marche).

5. Link with the geographical area

5.1. Specificity of the geographical area

The geographical area in which the ‘Patata Rossa di Colfiorito’ is farmed covers a large part of the Apennines in Umbria and Marche. One of the most characteristic factors is the altitude, with the area of cultivation being limited to a minimum altitude of 470 m above sea level. From the point of view of soil particle size, the area is made up of soils which help make this particular crop different from others, i.e. siliceous soils with a large presence of rocks and stones and that are slightly acidic, light, loose, permeable and deep.

The area has a mountain climate, with cold and snowy winters and cool summers.

Precipitation is abundant at higher altitudes (more than 1 500 mm per annum) but decreases at lower altitudes. There is heavy snowfall in winter, with snow cover persisting only at altitudes higher than 1 000 m. The fairly frequent winds include the ‘Grecale’ (NE) and the ‘Scirocco’ (SE).

5.2. Specificity of the product

The ‘Patata Rossa di Colfiorito’ is characterised by:

its high polyphenol content,

its red colour,

its characteristic consistency and firmness,

its irregular shape.

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 factors determining the reputation and distinctiveness of the ‘Patata Rossa di Colfiorito’ result from the specific soils and climatic features of the reference area, the cultivation techniques and the storage conditions used but also from the wide recognition of its physical shape and red colour and the denomination linked to the area. The nature of the soil is of particular importance, contributing decisively to defining the tuber’s growth, shape and chemical and organoleptic characteristics.

The varying shape of the ‘Patata Rossa di Colfiorito’ is influenced by the environment given the ‘hardship’ which it endures during growth due to factors linked to the variability of the area. Its firm flesh and irregular shape are in fact due to the rocky soil that is typical of the area, the climate and the low level of irrigation.

The area’s ‘extreme’ conditions also have a significant impact on the potato’s high polyphenol content in that its enzymatic pattern, which is responsible for polyphenol biosynthesis, is particularly sensitive to the area’s environmental characteristics.

There are numerous spoken and written testimonies to the strong historical, cultural and social links between the product and the area.

Specialised journals, photographs and audiovisual testimony bear witness to the high reputation of the ‘Patata Rossa di Colfiorito’, which is also confirmed by the ‘Sagra della Patata Rossa di Colfiorito’ festival, now in its 36th year. It has also been given official status by the Region of Umbria which has rightly included it in the list of its traditional products with a tradition going back more than 25 years.

The ‘Patata Rossa di Colfiorito’ is also used as an ingredient in the recipes of various local dishes: boiled, grilled, in salads, fried, roasted or used to make bread, focaccia and purées. It is also used to make excellent gnocchi, which are widely eaten in local dishes.

Reference to publication of the specification

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

The Ministry launched the national objection procedure with the publication of the proposal for recognising ‘Patata Rossa di Colfiorito’ as a protected geographical indication in Official Gazette of the Italian Republic No 93 of 22 April 2014.

The full text of the product specification is available on the following website: http://www.politicheagricole.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeBLOB.php/L/IT/IDPagina/3335

or alternatively:

by going directly to the homepage of the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policy (www.politicheagricole.it) and clicking on ‘Prodotti DOP IGP’ (at the top right-hand side of the screen), then on ‘Prodotti DOP IGP STG’ (on the left-hand side of the screen), and finally by clicking on ‘Disciplinari di Produzione all’esame dell’UE’.

(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.