EN Official Journal of the European Union C 75/9

Publication of an amendment 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 75/05

This publication confers the right to oppose the amendment application, pursuant to Article 51 of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council (1).

AMENDMENT APPLICATION

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006

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

AMENDMENT APPLICATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH ARTICLE 9

‘ГОРНООРЯХОВСКИ СУДЖУК’ (GORNOORYAHOVSKI SUDZHUK)

EC No: BG-PGI-0105-01108-15.04.2013

PGI ( X ) PDO ( )

1. Heading in the 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 of product

In point 3.3 of the Single Document — Raw Materials, ‘Fresh beef from healthy, well-fed animals aged 18 months at the time of slaughter’ is amended, with the age of the cattle at slaughter being changed to ‘over 12 months’ and the mention of additional characteristics (from healthy, well-fed animals) being removed, as these can be presumed to obtain.

The amendment is necessary because of the way in which the raw materials used by operators (boneless beef) are marketed in accordance with changes in the conditions governing the identification, classification and use of sales descriptions for meat obtained from adult bovine animals.

Article 113b of Regulation (EC) No 1234/2007 (amended by Council Regulation (EC) No 361/2008 of 14 April 2008) changed the rules governing the identification of meat from bovine animals depending on their age at slaughter by introducing a requirement that different sales descriptions be used to refer to meat from animals aged 12 months or less and meat from adult animals aged over 12 months.

Under Articles 6 and 7 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1249/2008 of 10 December 2008, producers of beef from adult animals are not required to identify, by means of a mark indicating the category and the class of conformation and fat cover, the carcasses from which boned meat is obtained.

The meat's being obtained ‘from well fed animals’ is assured by the definition introduced in Part IV, point 2, of Annex III to Regulation (EC) No 1234/2007: ‘adult bovine animals means bovine animals the live weight of which is more than 300 kilograms.’ The meat's being obtained ‘from healthy animals’ is guaranteed by the marking, pursuant to Article 5 of Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council, applied to the raw material and to the documentation from the establishment of origin.

In accordance with the above-mentioned legislation, producers of boneless beef state on the labels and accompanying documents only the sales description ‘beef’, without identifying and classifying the carcasses of the group of animals from which it was obtained, and without specifying their age at slaughter. In view of this, the raw materials for the production of ‘Gornooryahovski Sudzhuk’ are defined as ‘fresh beef’, which means that the meat is obtained from healthy, well fed adult bovine animals aged over 12 months at slaughter.

The use of meat from bovine animals whose age at slaughter is between 12 and 18 months does not affect the specificity of the product and does not alter its organoleptic and physico-chemical properties, because: the uniformity and quality of the meat filling is ensured by appropriate selection of meat and the removal of connective tissue and tallow; the specific properties: colour, texture, structure and flavour of the finished product are obtained by the specific method of preparation (maturing at a high temperature and drying in conditions which allow the growth of microflora characteristic of the geographical environment).

3.2. Method of production

In point 3.5 of the Single Document — Specific Steps in Production, in the paragraph entitled Primary processing of the raw material, in the sentence reading ‘The meat is cut into pieces weighing 100-150 g each’, the weight requirement is removed, since it relates only to the time of defrosting; it is determined by the technical characteristics of the equipment and does not affect the qualitative characteristics of the finished product.

An explanation is added to the effect that the meat is ground in a mincer featuring a system of grids — kidney-shaped and other. The meat emerges from the last grid in approx. 4 mm pieces.

In the paragraph entitled ‘Filling and shaping the sausages’, in the sentence reading ‘Immediately after filling, the gut is twisted along its axis at 45 cm intervals’, there is no need to specify the precise length of sausage to be twisted before cutting, since during subsequent shaping it will change several times, so that initially measuring out the length exactly serves no purpose. The processes of twisting, cutting, and shaping are performed manually, the ends of the casing containing the filling being tied off and bound together with string and the free ends of the casing being cleared of filling. For each piece, depending on the overall length of the casing, a tolerance of ± 2 сm is observed. Although it is specified that the pieces of sausage are twisted at approximately 45 cm intervals, the requirement specified in point 3.2 that the length of the final product after drying be 35-40 cm remains unchanged.

3.3. Method of packaging and labelling

There is a change to the wording of point 3.7. Specific rules concerning labelling.

The text ‘Every item is labelled as follows: the words “protected geographical indication Gornooryahovski Sudzhuk” are printed on the label in the largest font, followed by the name, address and personal logo of the manufacturer, the product’s identification number and the PGI symbol.’ is amended as follows:

— the phrase ‘or package’ is added, so that the sentence reads as follows: Every item or package is labelled as follows: … — the label of packaged products is placed directly on the packaging in order to provide the labelling information in the same visual field,

— the term ‘identification number’ is changed to ‘batch number’ to render the wording more precise,

— the requirement to include the ‘personal logo’ of the manufacturer is removed in order to make room for the obligatory information.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006

on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs (3)

‘ГОРНООРЯХОВСКИ СУДЖУК’ (GORNOORYAHOVSKI SUDZHUK)

EC No: BG-PGI-0105-01108-15.04.2013

PGI ( X ) PDO ( )

1. Name

‘Горнооряховски суджук’ (Gornooryahovski Sudzhuk)

2. Member State or Third Country

Bulgaria

3. Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1. Type of product

Class 1.2: Meat products (boiled, salted, smoked, etc.)

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

‘Gornooryahovski Sudzhuk’ is a compacted, non-perishable, raw, dried sausage manufactured from natural gut filled with machine-minced beef. It is intended for direct consumption.

On the outside it has a clean, smooth membrane, free of blemishes, defects or undue roughness. The membrane adheres tightly to the filling, is free of fatty condensate and has no cavities underneath it. The surface is evenly coated with a dry, white, powdery sausage mould which does not penetrate into the interior. The sausage is cylindrical, flattened and bent into a horseshoe shape. Its ends are tied off and bound together with string; it is 35-40 cm long and up 40 mm in diameter. It is solid, elastic and has the same consistency at the periphery as it does at the core. It has an elliptical cross-section with an even, fine-grained texture on its surface. The meat filling is free of cavities, sinews or fasciae. The filling is marbled, its colour varying from red to dark brown as is typical for beef. The fat is white in colour. There is no dark-coloured peripheral ring or grey discolouration in the interior of the cross-section. The flavour is distinctive, pleasant, spicy, moderately salty and free from any extraneous taste. The aroma is distinctive, with vivid tones reflecting its specific mixture of herbal seasoning (black pepper, cumin and savoury). Physical and chemical characteristics: water content does not exceed 45 % of the overall mass; fat content in dry matter does not exceed 65 %; kitchen salt does not exceed 4,5 % of the overall mass; nitrites do not exceed 50 mg per kg of product; pH ≤ 6 and ≥ 5,1; and aW ≤ 0,88.

3.3. Raw materials (for processed products only)

Fresh beef

3.4. Feed (for products of animal origin only)

There are no specific requirements for fodder quality or restrictions on the origin of the fodder.

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

The production of Gornooryahovski Sudzhuk sausages takes place under conditions typical for the Gorna Oryahovitsa area and makes use of the local population’s traditional skills. The production steps that must take place in the Gorna Oryahovitsa area are the following:

Primary processing of the main raw material: the meat used to produce Gornooryahovski Sudzhuk sausages must not be above – 5 °C. The meat is cut into pieces. These are ground mechanically through a system of grids to obtain approximately 4-mm-sized pieces while at the same time up to 10 % of the connecting tissue is removed.

Filling and shaping the sausages: the natural gut is rinsed in running drinking water to remove salt. It is then soaked in water until its elasticity is restored. The filling is stuffed into the gut under pressure. Immediately after filling, the gut is twisted along its axis at approximately 45 cm intervals. It is then cut at each twist using a knife. The sections thus obtained are shaped manually: the ends are firmly tied off and then tied together with string. Excess filling is removed from the cut ends of the gut. The sausages are hung by their string loops one after the other from wooden bars arranged on trolleys.

Maturing: the sausages are hung from bars arranged on racks at 22-25 °C and 100 to 85 % air humidity for approximately 48 hours and with uninterrupted ventilation, until the meat filling firms up and turns red.

Drying: the sausages are hung from wooden bars arranged on racks at 15-18 °C and 85 to 70 % air humidity for 10 to 20 days with uninterrupted ventilation. The sausages are compacted once or twice with metal presses arranged on wooden boards. During the drying process, the surface of the sausages acquires an even coating of white sausage mould which grows naturally in the room.

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

Gornooryahovski Sudzhuk sausages are marketed in one piece, either unpackaged or in individual vacuum packs.

3.7. Specific rules concerning labelling

Every item or package is labelled as follows: the words ‘protected geographical indication — Gornooryahovski Sudzhuk’ are printed on the label in the largest font, followed by the name and address of the manufacturer, the product's batch number and the PGI symbol.

4. Concise definition of the geographical area

The geographical location where Gornooryahovski Sudzhuk sausages are manufactured is defined administratively: the town of Gorna Oryahovitsa.

5. Link with the geographical area

5.1. Specificity of the geographical area

The geographical location is a lowland hilly area 199 m above sea level. The area has a moderate continental climate with mean annual air humidity of 71 % and mean annual temperature of + 11,5 °C. The average wind speed is 2,2 m/s, with prevailing north-easterly and north-westerly winds. These climatic conditions favour a characteristic combination of the mould species Penicillinum and Aspergillus in specific proportions. This combination of moulds covers the membrane of Gornooryahovski Sudzhuk sausages as a dry, white, powdery coating.

5.2. Specificity of the product

The specific organoleptic qualities are as follows: the taste, aroma, colour and consistency result from the quality of the meat used, the experience of the local population and the specific preparation method (maturing at a high temperature and drying in conditions which allow the growth of microflora characteristic of the geographical environment), which have been handed down over the ages from generation to generation.

Gornooryahovski Sudzhuk sausages are manufactured only from fresh beef with a high glycogen content before breakdown, which makes the sausages juicy and lends them their characteristic taste and red-brown colour. The meat is selected and processed so as to contain 10 % connective tissue and up to 30 % fats in order to give the end product its distinctive tender structure and its specific fine-grained cross-section surface.

The spicy taste of Gornooryahovski Sudzhuk sausages results from a traditional mixture of black pepper, cumin and savoury, based on a recipe that has remained unchanged over the ages.

The practical skills of the master manufacturers are particularly important to ensure the good external appearance of the product, its distinctive horseshoe shape and its firmness. The elasticity of the gut is skilfully determined by the technician according to its degree of turgidity and the increase in its volume. After filling, the sausages are shaped by hand by twisting the gut and firming up the filling by tightening the string.

The maturing process is of particular importance in lending the sausages their distinctive qualities. As the sausages mature, their filling becomes more tender and juicy and they acquire their distinctive firmness, taste and colour. The added saltpetre is turned consecutively into nitrites, nitrous acid and nitrogen oxide under the influence of denitrifying micro-organisms naturally propagating under the manufacturing conditions characteristic of the region (a temperature of 22 to 25 °C) and the accumulated lactic acid from the anaerobic breakdown of the glycogen under the influence of the meat enzymes. The nitrogen oxide reacts with the myoglobin from the muscle tissue and with the haemoglobin from the blood, forming nitrosomyoglobin and nitrosohaemoglobin, respectively, which give the mature meat its distinctive red colour. Transformation of the colour of the product to red-brown, the swelling and firming of the meat filling and a specific odour indicate that the anaerobic processes must be discontinued. The skill of the master manufacturers is crucial in assessing when the process must be stopped to prevent the formation of substances which would make the sausages unfit for consumption. In the past, the authentic maturing method was achieved by placing the sausages in a heap and covering them with rugs, which increased their temperature. Since the technology has been modernised, the same effect, resulting from the physical and chemical changes in the product, is achieved by heating the air and ensuring uninterrupted ventilation in order to reduce the humidity in the room to 85 %.

Under relatively constant drying conditions in the room (a temperature of 15-18 °C and air humidity of approximately 75 %), the region's characteristic mould develops, which prevents the fats from going rancid and a grey ring from forming. It contributes to the even drying of the product and enhances the aroma of the seasoning. When the individual sausages are compacted the skill of the master manufacturers becomes of particular importance. They must tighten the press gradually and distribute pressure evenly so as to prevent the gut from splitting while giving the sausages their typical horseshoe shape, elliptical cross-section and uniform thickness. The sausages catch the mould from the wooden boards during the pressing process. The spores are spread around the room by means of the gentle air currents and their mycelium evenly coats the entire surface of the sausages. The characteristic climatic conditions in the area of manufacture (dry, cold winds and gentle air currents) during the period from September to May and the specific microflora are preconditions for the establishment of appropriate drying conditions in the manufacture of Gornooryahovski Sudzhuk sausages. In the past, the sausages were arranged on long wooden sticks hung underneath the eaves on the northern side of the workshops. Today, the same climatic conditions are achieved throughout the year by using ventilation systems which regulate and maintain constant temperature and air humidity.

The maturing and drying rooms are equipped with a device to record the air temperature and humidity, which allows continuous control over the manufacturing conditions to achieve a water content of 45 % of the total mass.

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 emergence and subsequent growth in the production of Gornooryahovski Sudzhuk sausages was the result of the relatively constant climatic conditions and the gentle air currents in the area of Gorna Oryahovitsa and the propagation of a specific combination of moulds (Penicillinum and Aspergillus) across the surface of the sausages, combined with an entrepreneurial spirit that led the locals to preserve meat by salting and maturing at high temperatures and subsequent drying.

The recipe has been handed down from father to son in many families, and the manufacture of sausages was their main source of income. In order to exercise their trade, the manufacturers were required to have a master’s certificate and a special permit.

This PGI application stems primarily from the reputation of Gornooryahovski Sudzhuk sausages since the time of the Bulgarian National Revival (early 18th century) and the specific conditions under which they are manufactured.

Numerous crafts connected with the manufacture of meat products have developed in Gorna Oryahovitsa from time immemorial: meat production, butchery, sudzhuk sausage making, meat curing, etc. As early as the 19th century the authorities, recognising the benefits, supported local tradesmen and craftsmen. In this way the town gradually became established as one of the biggest trading centres in the then Turkish empire by means of the construction of town markets. In 1538, Suleiman I the Magnificent issued a decree granting the Rustem Pasha Foundation lands and taxes from the production of sudzhuk sausages in Rahoviche-I Gebr (now known as Gorna Oryahovitsa).

In 1861, sudzhuk sausages produced by the Gorna Oryahovitsa manufacturer and trader Mihail Nikolov were awarded a medal at an international fair in Italy. During the Bulgarian National Revival period, the sausages produced in Gorna Oryahovitsa were called ‘Sara’ and ‘Smarlama’. After the Liberation, they became known under the name of ‘Gornooryahovski Sudzhuk’ and ‘Dried Beef Sausage’. The Austro-Hungarian ethnographer Felix Phillipp Kanitz, in his ‘Danube Bulgaria and the Balkans’ (1882), described the traditions of the people of Gorna Oryahovitsa in connection with meat production and sudzhuk manufacturing trades. The first advertisement for sudzhuk sausage production was published in the Bulgarian Almanac in 1911 by the Nedev family of Gorna Oryahovitsa. The local market trade in sudzhuk sausages, which was well developed, was one of the reasons for staging the first international sample trade fair in Gorna Oryahovitsa (taking place from 1922 to 1932). In 1931, the ‘Gorna Oryahovitsa indoor market regulations’ were issued. These delegated State control over the sale of sudzhuk sausages to local manufacturers. After the 1940s, due to their amazing and distinctive flavour and high quality, sudzhuk sausages became established on the Bulgarian market and were promoted under the name ‘Gornooryahovski Sudzhuk’.

The location of sudzhuk workshops is of enormous importance in ensuring appropriate maturing and drying conditions. This is why they underwent a lengthy process of evolution in finding favourable climatic locations within reach of Gorna Oryahovitsa. While in the beginning, during the 19th century, Gornooryahovski Sudzhuk sausages were manufactured in special workshops near the ‘Sar Market’ in the south-west part of Gorna Oryahovitsa, during the final decade of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th, sudzhuk workshops were gradually relocated towards the eastern outskirts of the town. The main reason were the favourable air currents discovered by sudzhuk manufacturers, which turned out to be the most important factor in the drying of Gornooryahovski Sudzhuk sausages and in the formation of the characteristic sausage mould which coats them.

The high demand and supply, as well as the fame of sudzhuk sausages resulted in the authorities issuing specific rules for their manufacture, published in the 1975 Technical Manual, specific technical instructions for their manufacture and specific sanitary requirements for sudzhuk sausages sold to the public, published in the 1983 Veterinary and Sanitary Reporting Manual.

Information on the early history of Gornooryahovski Sudzhuk sausages dating from the 19th century has been handed down mainly through oral testimony from those directly or indirectly involved in their production, marketing and consumption. The reputation of Gornooryahovski Sudzhuk sausages has prompted several authors and researchers to write about them. Pioneers in this area were the well-known local researchers, historians and publicists Tsani Ginchev and Zvezdelin Tsonev. More recently, in 2003, Elza Garabedyan, published ‘Gornooryahovski Sudzhuk’, a book in which she discusses the history of Gornooryahovski Sudzhuk production and presents authentic documentary material preserved to this day at two public institutions, the State Archive (DA) in Veliko Tarnovo, and the Historical Museum in Gorna Oryahovitza.

In 2001, Gornooryahovski Sudzhuk sausages produced by Rodopa 96 EOOD, Gorna Oryahovitsa, were awarded a gold medal at the Plovdiv international spring trade fair. In 2007, the Municipal Council of Gorna Oryahovitsa revived an old tradition, the Gornooryahovski Sudzhuk Fair, coinciding with the annual town celebrations.

Their traditional use in Gorna Oryahovitsa as presents and as a treat with which to welcome guests has helped Gornooryahovski Sudzhuk sausages to become emblematic of the town from which they have taken their name. Their unique recipe, typical manufacturing conditions, distinctive mould and the skill of the local manufacturers have turned them into a standard and a guarantee of high quality. Over time, Gornooryahovski Sudzhuk sausages have established themselves as a favourite on Bulgarian banquet tables. The production of Gornooryahovski Sudzhuk sausages is of high economic importance to Gorna Oryahovitsa due to the large number of consumers and the high sales price.

Reference to publication of the specification

(Article 5(7) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 (4))

http://www.mzh.government.bg/MZH/bg/ShortLinks/ZashiteniNaimenovania/Gornoorahowskisudjuk/Zaqvlenie.aspx

(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) Replaced by Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.

(4) See footnote 3.