EN Official Journal of the European Union C 321/20

Publication of an application pursuant to Article 6(2) of Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs

2011/C 321/15

This publication confers the right to object to the application pursuant to Article 7 of Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 (1). Statements of objection must reach the Commission within six months from the date of this publication.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006

‘DÜSSELDORFER MOSTERT’/‘DÜSSELDORFER SENF MOSTERT’/‘DÜSSELDORFER URTYP MOSTERT’/‘AECHTER DÜSSELDORFER MOSTERT’

EC No: DE-PGI-0005-0799-24.02.2010

PGI ( X ) PDO ( )

1. Name:

‘Düsseldorfer Mostert’/‘Düsseldorfer Senf Mostert’/‘Düsseldorfer Urtyp Mostert’/‘Aechter Düsseldorfer Mostert’

2. Member State or third country:

Germany

3. Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff:

3.1. Type of product:

Class 2.6. Mustard paste

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

‘Düsseldorfer Mostert’/‘Düsseldorfer Senf Mostert’/‘Düsseldorfer Urtyp Mostert’/‘Aechter Düsseldorfer Mostert’ (hereinafter shortened to ‘Düsseldorfer Mostert’) is a ready-to-use paste for flavouring food. ‘Düsseldorfer Mostert’ consists exclusively of ground brown and yellow mustard seeds, unfiltered spirit vinegar produced in Düsseldorf, the special lime and mineral rich water from Düsseldorf, salt, sugar and spices. It has a bright creamy consistency and a malt brown colour. ‘Düsseldorfer Mostert’ contains tiny pieces of husk (specks). A particular characteristic of ‘Düsseldorfer Mostert’ is its hot, malty, spicy taste, which comes from the triple-grinding of the mustard husks. Its typical hot, malty, spicy flavour comes from the traditional local manufacturing process which is unique to the geographical area, with the use of brown and yellow mustard seeds that are ground three times, a special maceration process, the final grinding with granite stones, and with the use of unfiltered Düsseldorf spirit vinegar produced in Düsseldorf, and the special lime and mineral rich water of Düsseldorf. ‘Düsseldorfer Mostert’ is made using only natural ingredients. No preservatives, flavourings or thickening agents are used to make ‘Düsseldorfer Mostert’.

When finished, ‘Düsseldorfer Mostert’ must display the following values:

— dry matter content: at least 25 %,

— pH value: < 4,1,

— total acidity (measured as acetic acid): > 2,3 %,

— table salt (measured as NaCl): > 3,5 %.

3.3. Raw materials (for processed products only):

The raw materials for ‘Düsseldorfer Mostert’ are brown and yellow mustard seeds, unfiltered spirit vinegar produced in Düsseldorf, the special lime and mineral rich water of Düsseldorf, salt, sugar and spices.

‘Düsseldorfer Mostert’ must not contain any preservatives, flavourings or thickening agents.

In order to maintain the high quality and freshness of ‘Düsseldorfer Mostert’, its connection to the region, its organoleptic properties and its reputation, it is made using only water from Düsseldorf and unfiltered Düsseldorf spirit vinegar, which is also made in Düsseldorf using water from Düsseldorf, from the defined geographical area.

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 raw materials for ‘Düsseldorfer Mostert’ are brown and yellow mustard seeds, unfiltered spirit vinegar produced in Düsseldorf, the special lime and mineral rich water of Düsseldorf, salt, sugar and spices.

‘Düsseldorfer Mostert’ must not contain any preservatives, flavourings or thickening agents.

Firstly, the brown and yellow mustard seeds, which have already been washed and sieved, are separated for grinding. Then the pre-ground, brown and yellow mustard seeds, together with salt, sugar and spices, are mixed with the special lime and mineral rich water of Düsseldorf and unfiltered spirit vinegar from Düsseldorf and macerated to make a brown mustard mash.

The mustard mash is then ground twice. Granite stones are to be used for the final grinding to manually smoothen the structure of the ‘Düsseldorfer Mostert’ and to expel any air. Tiny pieces of husk remain visible. After a maturation phase, ‘Düsseldorfer Mostert’ develops its characteristic hot, malty, spicy flavour. It is then bottled in a variety of containers.

‘Düsseldorfer Mostert’ has a shelf life of only 10 months. This is in order to preserve its organoleptic properties.

All the production steps for ‘Düsseldorfer Mostert’, i.e. washing, sieving, pre-grinding, mixing the ingredients in the maceration process, the second grinding, the third grinding using granite stones, and maturation, must be carried out in the geographical area. This ensures its typical hot, malty, spicy taste and as a result its organoleptic properties, quality, regional origins, traceability and control throughout the entire production process.

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

The product packaging process, including bottling, packaging and labelling, must be carried out in the geographical area.

This is necessary as the sharp taste of mustard can easily become impaired. For this reason, the temperature is monitored closely during maturation. The way in which the temperature is regulated and the storage period have a decisive influence on the sensory qualities of the final product. Only the specialist manufacturing staff (in-house mustard experts) have the experience to determine the best time to bottle the product so that all products are of consistently high quality. This is why this step in the production process, which is key to the product’s quality, must be carried out in the geographical area under the supervision of the manufacturers.

This ensures its typical hot, malty, spicy taste and as a result its organoleptic properties, quality, regional origins, traceability and control throughout the production process.

3.7. Specific rules concerning labelling:

The following labelling rules guarantee the origin and authenticity of ‘Düsseldorfer Mostert’ for both consumers and the inspectors who monitor the manufacturing process and guard against malpractice. They ensure uniform labelling and thereby guarantee the origin and traceability of ‘Düsseldorfer Mostert’.

In all sales outlets, ‘Düsseldorfer Mostert’ must be labelled as:

‘Düsseldorfer Mostert’,

‘Düsseldorfer Senf Mostert’,

‘Düsseldorfer Urtyp Mostert’, and/or

‘Aechter Düsseldorfer Mostert’.

This labelling can also include the reference ‘PGI’ and/or ‘Protected Geographical Indication’.

‘Düsseldorfer Mostert’/‘Düsseldorfer Senf Mostert’/‘Düsseldorfer Urtyp Mostert’/‘Aechter Düsseldorfer Mostert’ must be labelled with the relevant Community symbol in Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 in colour or in black and white.

The protection association keeps a regularly updated list of companies producing ‘Düsseldorfer Mostert’. The Schutzgemeinschaft für spezifikationskonforme Produkte (Association for the Protection of Specification-compliant Products) allows its members and all companies that are declared producers of ‘Düsseldorfer Mostert’ to use the following word/figurative mark of the Schutzgemeinschaft Düsseldorfer Senf (Association for the Protection of Düsseldorf Mustard) in Arial Regular font for the words ‘Senfspezialität aus Düsseldorf’ in the following variations:

in colour in CMYK colour 12C 27M 56Y 0K (gold), in spot colour gold and/or in hot foil stamping gold for the anchor, the outline of the lion and the border of the logo and/or in colour in CMYK colour 12C 27M 56Y 0K (gold), in spot colour gold and/or in hot foil stamping gold for the anchor, the lion and the border of the logo and/or in black and white in CMYK colour 0C 0M 0Y 100K (black) for the anchor, the outline of the lion and the border of the logo and/or in black and white in CMYK colour 0C 0M 0Y 100K (black) for the anchor, the lion and the border of the logo.

The background colour inside the logo is variable. The size of the logo can differ depending on the use.

These labelling rules also apply to products in which ‘Düsseldorfer Mostert’ is the only component from the relevant product category used with other food and produce.

4. Concise definition of the geographical area:

The geographical area covers the Landeshauptstadt Düsseldorf. It is called ‘Düsseldorf’.

5. Link with the geographical area:

5.1. Specificity of the geographical area:

The geographical area covers the Landeshauptstadt Düsseldorf. It is called ‘Düsseldorf’. ‘Düsseldorfer Mostert’ was invented in the geographical area. The geographical area is marked by the long manufacturing tradition of the Düsseldorf mustard industry. The geographical area is very different from neighbouring areas due to the designation, the origin of the invention, the long production tradition, the special water extraction process developed and practised in the geographical area, the ingredients that characterise the taste and in particular the minerals that are found in the high lime content of Düsseldorf water and the Düsseldorf spirit vinegar culture made from acetic acid bacteria from the immediate vicinity of the mustard factory and used unchanged since 1969.

5.2. Specificity of the product:

‘Düsseldorfer Mostert’ consists exclusively of ground brown and yellow mustard seeds, unfiltered spirit vinegar produced in Düsseldorf, the special lime and mineral rich water of Düsseldorf, salt, sugar and spices. It has a bright creamy consistency and a malt brown colour. ‘Düsseldorfer Mostert’ contains tiny pieces of husk (specks).

A particular characteristic of ‘Düsseldorfer Mostert’ is its hot, malty, spicy taste, which comes from the triple-grinding of the mustard husks. Its typical hot, malty, spicy flavour comes from the traditional local manufacturing process which is unique to the geographical area, with the use of brown and yellow mustard seeds that are ground three times, a special maceration process, the final grinding with granite stones, and with the use of unfiltered Düsseldorf spirit vinegar produced in Düsseldorf, and the special lime and mineral rich water of Düsseldorf. ‘Düsseldorfer Mostert’ is made using only natural ingredients. No preservatives, flavourings or thickening agents are used to make ‘Düsseldorfer Mostert’.

These organoleptic properties are the reason ‘Düsseldorfer Mostert’ is renowned as a regional speciality. Its good reputation can also be said to have become a property of ‘Düsseldorfer Mostert’ as a result of its taste, quality and particular characteristics.

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):

Historical context/history

‘Düsseldorfer Mostert’/‘Düsseldorfer Senf Mostert’/‘Düsseldorfer Urtyp Mostert’/‘Aechter Düsseldorfer Mostert’, ‘Düsseldorfer Senf’ and ‘Düsseldorfer Tafelsenf’ are speciality food products with a very long historical and regional tradition that were developed in Düsseldorf.

The history of the mustard industry in Düsseldorf is testimony to this. The first German mustard factory was founded in Düsseldorf in 1726. Its speciality was a hot, malty, spicy, creamy, bright, malt brown mustard, ‘Düsseldorfer Mostert’/‘Düsseldorfer Senf Mostert’/‘Düsseldorfer Urtyp Mostert’/‘Aechter Düsseldorfer Mostert’. ‘Düsseldorfer Mostert’ soon became known outside Germany as well and established the city's reputation as a mustard metropolis.

By 1800, good sales of ‘Aechter Düsseldorfer Mostert’ had created widespread consumer awareness of the product both at home and abroad. In 1884, Vincent van Gogh’s ‘Still Life with Earthenware, Bottles and Box’ turned ‘Düsseldorfer Mostert’ into part of art history.

In 1896, there were eight mustard factories in Düsseldorf. As early as 1826, trade news, travel literature and town descriptions spoke of the Düsseldorf mustard industry.

Then, in 1920, a new mustard era dawned in Düsseldorf. The businessman Otto Frenzel from Lorraine set up his mustard factory in Düsseldorf at the end of 1920. There he produced a very hot mustard, the first ever to be light in colour, which he named ‘Löwensenf’ and marketed it with the logo of a lion’s head in tribute to the city’s coat of arms. A light mustard of this type was without precedent in Germany. Buyers’ initial reactions to this innovation ranged from the sceptical to the dismissive. Its strength and distinctive spices, however, soon made ‘Düsseldorfer Mostert’ and ‘Düsseldorfer Senf’ famous. His mustard innovation, ‘Löwensenf’ quickly earned Otto Frenzel a good reputation among consumers. And so the success story of Otto Frenzel’s new Düsseldorf mustard industry began. Frenzel’s success was due to the purity requirements for ‘Düsseldorfer Mostert’ and ‘Düsseldorfer Senf’, according to which only the finest ingredients should be used and all products should be meticulously prepared using no extraneous additives.

In 1930, the Düsseldorf mustard factories started producing the medium-hot ‘Düsseldorfer Tafelsenf’. Consumers in Germany and abroad soon learned to appreciate this milder, moderately spicy, yellowy green Düsseldorf mustard speciality with its attractive sheen. In 1938, the Düsseldorf mustard industry started exporting ‘Düsseldorfer Mostert’/‘Düsseldorfer Senf Mostert’/‘Düsseldorfer Urtyp Mostert’/‘Aechter Düsseldorfer Mostert’, ‘Düsseldorfer Senf’ and ‘Düsseldorfer Tafelsenf’ to other European countries, Africa, Australia, Canada, Japan, South America and the USA.

The famous Düsseldorf mustard factories of Adam Bernhard Bergrath sel. Wwe and Otto Frenzel Senfindustrie and the Senffabrik Ludwig Mackenstein, Dampf-Senffabrik Steinberg & Hild, Dampf-Senffabrik Carl Dick, Senffabrik Paul Eisenhardt, Senffabrik Ernst Roesberger, Senffabrik Carl von der Heiden, Senfvertrieb Wilhelm Pabelick, Senffabrik Geschwister Bramhoff and Senffabrik Johann Waldorf, whose operations had spread beyond the local region to other parts of Germany and abroad, had all become part of the city’s history. Many of these mustard producers used the Düsseldorf anchor and/or the Düsseldorf lion on the label of the ‘Düsseldorfer Mostert’/‘Düsseldorfer Senf Mostert’/‘Düsseldorfer Urtyp Mostert’/‘Aechter Düsseldorfer Mostert’, ‘Düsseldorfer Senf’ and ‘Düsseldorfer Tafelsenf’ that they produced in the city.

Natural link/environmental conditions

‘Düsseldorfer Mostert’/‘Düsseldorfer Senf Mostert’/‘Düsseldorfer Urtyp Mostert’/‘Aechter Düsseldorfer Mostert’ displays a natural link between its geographical area and its organoleptic properties.

The Düsseldorf water used, the main ingredient in ‘Düsseldorfer Mostert’, is taken from the Rhine. The water passes through the banks of the river, with their layers of sand and gravel that are 30 m thick in places, and is therefore particularly limy and, as a result, mineral rich. Düsseldorf water is treated using a special process developed and practised in Düsseldorf. The high lime content and resulting high mineral content of Düsseldorf water have, in turn, left their mark on the particular taste of ‘Düsseldorfer Mostert’.

The unfiltered spirit vinegar produced in Düsseldorf also affects the taste of ‘Düsseldorfer Mostert’. The especially lime and mineral rich Düsseldorf water is also used to produce Düsseldorf spirit vinegar, as is a regional culture of a particular strain of acetic acid bacteria from the area directly surrounding the mustard factory that has been used in the production of Düsseldorf spirit vinegar since 1969.

Current link/reputation

To this day, ‘Düsseldorfer Mostert’ enjoys a good reputation as a regional speciality well known to consumers in and beyond the local region.

Consumer reactions bear witness to its renown. For consumers, ‘Düsseldorfer Mostert’ now has an established market position.

As is apparent from the very names ‘Düsseldorfer Mostert’/‘Düsseldorfer Senf Mostert’/‘Düsseldorfer Urtyp Mostert’/‘Aechter Düsseldorfer Mostert’, Düsseldorf is the historical and geographical birthplace of ‘Düsseldorfer Mostert’. Without Düsseldorf, the place of its invention, the city’s mustard specialities would not be thought of so highly.

Their reputation is based in particular on the long history of the production of ‘Düsseldorfer Mostert’, ‘Düsseldorfer Senf’ and ‘Düsseldorfer Tafelsenf’ in Düsseldorf and their organoleptic properties. Düsseldorf is frequently described as the mustard city or ‘Mostertstadt’ because of the long and illustrious history of its mustard industry.

Düsseldorf's mustard specialities are held in such high regard that one of the city's museums has been devoted to them. The long tradition of the production of mustard specialities in Düsseldorf is recorded in numerous photographs of mustard produced by the city's industry. The reputation as a regional speciality from Düsseldorf that ‘Düsseldorfer Mostert’ enjoys in the local region and elsewhere is documented in a number of publications on Düsseldorf mustard specialities past and present.

‘Düsseldorfer Mostert’/‘Düsseldorfer Senf Mostert’/‘Düsseldorfer Urtyp Mostert’/‘Aechter Düsseldorfer Mostert’, ‘Düsseldorfer Senf’ and ‘Düsseldorfer Tafelsenf’ are part of Düsseldorf's history and traditional cuisine. The classic ‘Düsseldorfer Senfrostbraten’, an entrecôte smeared with Düsseldorf mustard and then placed under a grill, can for example be found on the menus of the breweries in the ‘Düsseldorfer Altstadt’. The Rhineland sandwich, a ‘Röggelchen’ bread roll with a slice of cheese and Düsseldorf mustard, is also part of Düsseldorf cuisine.

The fact that Düsseldorf is a special kind of mustard city and that ‘Düsseldorfer Mostert’, like the beer ‘Düsseldorfer Alt’, still has a good reputation among consumers because of its geographical origin and the associated organoleptic properties and resulting taste is demonstrated by two old traditions.

To this day, Düsseldorf mustard is still served in the time-honoured way, in special Düsseldorf earthenware mustard pots, in the city's traditional restaurants, the breweries in the city centre that are still producing ‘Düsseldorfer Alt’, and the homes of the region's consumers. The crowds of people who visit the ‘Düsseldorfer Alt’ breweries and try out the city’s traditional cuisine have for decades relished ‘Düsseldorfer Mostert’, a regional speciality that is instantly recognisable both by its taste and by the earthenware pot in which it is served.

There are two old-fashioned shops in Düsseldorf that sell ‘Düsseldorfer Mostert’ unpackaged. Every day, many regional consumers go there to fill up their traditionally labelled containers, usually an earthenware pot, with ‘Düsseldorfer Mostert’.

To this day, ‘Düsseldorfer Mostert’ is also known outside Germany as a regional speciality. ‘Düsseldorfer Mostert’, ‘Düsseldorfer Senf’ and ‘Düsseldorfer Tafelsenf’ have been exported to other European and non-European countries, notably the USA, as ‘Genuine Dusseldorf Prepared Mustard’ since 1938. This history is reflected in the range of products exported to the USA. Düsseldorf is one of the few cities in the world that can look back on a long and great mustard tradition. And so Düsseldorf's fame as a mustard metropolis spread outside the local region. It is clear from the number of enquiries that are still received from consumers all over the world that the renown of Düsseldorf's mustard specialities is not confined to Germany.

A particular reason for the good reputation of ‘Düsseldorfer Mostert’ among consumers is the fact that, unlike other mustard pastes from outside the geographical area, the Düsseldorf mustard speciality contains no preservatives.

Economic link/significance

‘Düsseldorfer Mostert’/‘Düsseldorfer Senf Mostert’/‘Düsseldorfer Urtyp Mostert’/‘Aechter Düsseldorfer Mostert’ remains very important for Düsseldorf's economy. The great popularity of ‘Düsseldorfer Mostert’ is clearly reflected in its excellent sales figures in food retail outlets, butcher’s shops and restaurants in the geographical area, Germany and the rest of the world.

It is estimated that some 65 tonnes of ‘Düsseldorfer Mostert’ are produced in the Düsseldorf geographical area each year. These annual sales figures confirm that ‘Düsseldorfer Mostert’ has a good reputation among consumers as a typical regional speciality because of its regional origin and its associated organoleptic properties.

Production related link/organoleptic quality: For almost 300 years, regional producers in Düsseldorf have been producing ‘Düsseldorfer Mostert’/‘Düsseldorfer Senf Mostert’/‘Düsseldorfer Urtyp Mostert’/‘Aechter Düsseldorfer Mostert’ using the production process that was invented in the city. It is the knowledge, expertise and experience that they have passed on from generation to generation that give ‘Düsseldorfer Mostert’ its geographically determined, organoleptic properties.

Reference to the publication of the specification:

Markenblatt Vol. 07 of 19 February 2010, Part 7c, p. 2509

(http://register.dpma.de/DPMAregister/geo/detail.pdfdownload/11252)

(1) OJ L 93, 31.3.2006, p. 12.