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

(2021/C 136/07)

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) within 3 months from the date of this publication.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘VÄRMLÄNDSKT SKRÄDMJÖL’

EU No: PGI-SE-02414 – 5.4.2018

PDO ( ) PGI (X)

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

‘Värmländskt skrädmjöl’

2. Member State or Third Country

Sweden

3. Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1. Type of product

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

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

‘Värmländskt skrädmjöl’ is the name of stone-ground flour produced from roasted oats of the botanical species oats (Avena sativa L.), a cereal traditionally grown in Värmland.

‘Värmländskt skrädmjöl’ has the following characteristics:

Colour: pale yellow – reminiscent of the pale shade of onionskin.

Scent: newly threshed grain, rounded, fleshy and nutty with notes of roasting.

Taste: rounded with roasted nuances, notes of nut and a long, pleasant aftertaste.

Consistency: Powder with a grain size of 0,2-0,3 mm

Protein content: 9-14 %

Fat content: 4-7 %

Carbohydrates: 60-75 %

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

Raw materials: ‘Värmländskt skrädmjöl’ is produced from oats (Avena sativa L.) cultivated in the geographical area described under point 4. The variety currently grown is Symphony, a variety that matures early and has large grains, little variation in size and medium fat content (thousand-grain weight approx. 45 g, crude fat approx. 4,8 % and protein approx. 10 % of dry matter).

The oats’ fat content and grain size are crucial to the production of ‘Värmländskt skrädmjöl’.

The size of the grains and the variation in grain size is primarily important for roasting and dehulling. In order to ensure they are roasted evenly, the oat grains must be as homogeneous in size as possible. The oats used have a grain size of 2-4 mm and a water content of ≤ 14 %.

The fat content is primarily important for grinding. Oats are a cereal with a relatively high fat content. A high fat content causes the flour to clump together during grinding and clog the millstones. Therefore only varieties with a fat content below 5 % of dry matter are used to produce ‘Värmländskt skrädmjöl’.

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

The entire production process – from cultivation of the raw material to roasting, dehulling and grinding – must take place within the geographical area indicated under 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

—

4. Concise definition of the geographical area

The production area for ‘Värmländskt skrädmjöl’ comprises the county of Värmland.

5. Link with the geographical area

The link is based on the distinctive characteristics of the product.

Specific details of the geographical area:

Värmland has distinctly acidic and poor mineral soils with a low organic matter content. Because of their structure, the soils have a good capacity to retain water. The climate is characterised by cold, snowy winters and relatively hot summers. In spring, daily temperatures vary from below freezing during the night to above freezing during the day. Combined with the soil’s capacity to hold water, this causes ice to form, which in turn pushes autumn-sown crops out of the frozen soil.

Because of the physical conditions in Värmland, spring sowing oats became the dominant method of cultivating grain when Värmland was colonised by migrants from the eastern provinces (present-day Finland) in the late-16th century.

For the producers of ‘Värmländskt skrädmjöl’, production begins with the cultivation of oats. This means that the farmer grows oats specially intended for the production of ‘Värmländskt skrädmjöl’, with a grain size and water and fat content that is appropriate for the production of ‘Värmländskt skrädmjöl’ in the individual mills.

Oats grown in the geographical area described under point 4 are threshed and dried to a maximum water content of 14 %. To produce ‘Värmländskt skrädmjöl’ the oats are roasted in birch wood-fired ovens, which give an even temperature curve. They are stirred constantly during roasting to prevent burning. The oats must be roasted deeply and thoroughly in order to draw out the characteristic nutty scent and taste of ‘Värmländskt skrädmjöl’. In order to ensure they are roasted evenly, the oat kernels must be as homogeneous in size as possible.

The remaining water in the oats evaporates during the roasting process, which takes around two hours. The exact length of time depends on the temperature and the oat variety. Once roasting is finished, the temperature in the roasting oven is around 220 oC.

After roasting, the oats are dehulled and the groats (kernels) are separated from the hulls. The groats are ground between two large millstones (the size of which varies between mills) into flour with a particle size of 0,2-0,3 mm. The miller feels the flour and adjusts the millstones to obtain the desired consistency.

Special characteristics of the product:

The part of the refining process that contributes most significantly to the properties of ‘Värmländskt skrädmjöl’ is the roasting of the oats. It is the roasting that gives ‘Värmländskt skrädmjöl’ its characteristic scent of newly threshed grain with distinct notes of nut, and the rounded, long, nutty taste with distinct and rounded notes of roasting. It is for this taste that ‘Värmländskt skrädmjöl’ is today in demand to add flavour and as an ingredient in various dishes and baked goods.

Causal link:

The tradition of cultivating oats goes back to the 16th century and the Finnish immigration to Värmland. The immigrants settled in the sparsely populated parts of the county and began to grow crops, including oats. The problem with the oats was that they were difficult to grind. In order to make them easier to grind, the oats first had to be dehulled, which involves separating the grain from the chaff. In order to remove the hulls, the oats first had to be dried. This was originally carried out by roasting them in a bread oven or sauna. Dehulling not only made grinding easier, it also meant that the oat flour kept for longer.

Keyland (1919) reports in ‘Svensk vegetabilisk allmogekost’ that construction of special mills for roasting, dehulling and grinding oats began in the mid-19th century. Cultivation of oats and the technique of roasting the grain to facilitate dehulling and grinding came to be of great importance to the diet of people in Värmland. According to Keyland, dehulling and the use of oats came to be a speciality of Värmland. ‘Perhaps in no other Swedish province was oat flour used for human consumption as much as it was there.’

Production of ‘Värmländskt skrädmjöl’ is dependent on human factors, with the cooperation between the farmer and the miller being crucial to the product’s quality. This cooperation means that the farmer grows oats specially intended for the production of ‘Värmländskt skrädmjöl’, with a grain size and water and fat content that is appropriate for the further production process in the skrädmjöl mills. The miller must in turn adapt the roasting, dehulling and grinding to the characteristics of the oats and adjust the various stages of production so that they form a unified whole.

The entire process of roasting, dehulling and grinding is a craft, and knowledge of the properties of the raw material and how it behaves during the refining process is the key to the characteristics of ‘Värmländskt skrädmjöl’.

Millers can tell when the oats have finished roasting based on the consistency and taste of the oats and the colour of the smoke given off during the roasting process. The technique is described in old records from Värmland. ‘If the oats were to be ground into flour, it was a good idea to dry the grain in the sauna. It was important that it was not too hot, rather the grain was dried more slowly. When the grain was dry enough for grinding, the kernel should pop when put between the teeth and bitten into.’ Production of ‘Värmländskt skrädmjöl’ is therefore entirely dependent on the miller’s knowledge and experience of the raw material and its behaviour during the roasting, dehulling and grinding processes.

There is considerable local support for ‘Värmländskt skrädmjöl’, with local village events putting the spotlight on the flour and the culinary traditions linked to it. The flour has also gained wider distribution, being used to add flavour to different dishes and baked goods.

Reference to publication of the specification

(the second subparagraph of Article 6(1) of this Regulation)

https://www.livsmedelsverket.se/globalassets/produktion-handel-kontroll/livsmedelsinformation-markning-halsopastaenden/skyddade-beteckningar/ansokan_skradmjol_2020_05_28.pdf

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