EN Official Journal of the European Union C 188/26

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

(2017/C 188/18)

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

‘CAPÓN DE VILALBA’

EU No: ES-PGI-0005-01355 – 24.7.2015

PDO ( ) PGI ( X )

1. Name

‘Capón de Vilalba’

2. Member State or Third Country

Spain

3. Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1. Type of product

Class 1.1. Fresh meat (and offal)

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

The protected geographical indication ‘Capón de Vilalba’ applies to meat obtained from males of the species Gallus domesticus which have been surgically castrated before they reach sexual maturity. The birds are of the ‘Galiña de Mos’ breed or of different strains which share with this breed its hardiness, which allows them to be reared outdoors in the climatic conditions of the area. These strains, like the ‘Galiña de Mos’ breed, must be semi-heavy, with a slow growth rate and they must have a red-brown plumage.

The animals are slaughtered at a minimum age of 150 days, after a post-castration period of rearing and fattening of at least 77 days. Feeding, the final fattening stage, takes place in confined spaces for a minimum of 25 days. A special category has been established which is marketed during the Christmas period with the additional indication ‘Capón de Nadal’ — this applies to animals that are slaughtered at a minimum age of 210 days.

The carcass is pearlescent yellow in colour with a thin and supple skin. It must weigh at least 2,5 kg. This minimum weight shall rise to 4 kg in the particular case of the ‘Capón de Nadal’. The meat is characterised by its fine texture, succulence and tenderness. Its texture is fibrous and its fat, which is plentiful — especially in the ‘Capón de Nadal’ — is yellowish white in colour.

The ‘Capón de Vilalba’ shall be marketed in whole carcasses. However it may be marketed in cuts from the carcass, and in particular cutting at the point of sale shall be permitted, provided that an appropriate monitoring system has been set up to ensure traceability.

In the case of the ‘Capón de Nadal’, it shall be marketed in the traditional manner, that is with the head and feet present, and a small birch stick placed inside the carcass to keep the back as straight as possible, which facilitates the subsequent affixing of the fat; the wings are then folded upwards, so that they are resting on the back. Finally the fat or ‘ensunlla’ is also placed on the back, on both sides, and is held down with small sticks.

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

The diet provided allows the animals to grow harmoniously and at a relatively slow pace. During the initial fattening stage, the diet of the birds is based on the use of the vegetation in the poultry yard, supplemented with maize, other cereals and other plant-based foods (kale, potato peelings, chestnuts, etc.) which typically come from the same farm. The diet may be supplemented with compound feed, which in all cases must have a cereal content of at least 70 %.

The feeding stage takes place in confined spaces, typically in cages called ‘capoeiras’. During this stage, the basic diet from the previous stage is supplemented with a paste called ‘amoado’, which is made of a mixture of maize meal and boiled potato, although the potato can be wholly or partially replaced with chestnuts.

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

The birds must be reared — at least from the point of castration onwards — and fed, slaughtered and marked with the secondary label indicating the protected geographical indication, within the defined geographical area.

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

Each sales item of capon meat marketed under the protected geographical indication ‘Capón de Vilalba’ must carry the specific label of the geographic indication (secondary label) with an alphanumeric code and sequential numbering, used under the supervision of the inspection body, as well as the official logo of the PGI, which is shown below:

On both the label used by each operator and the specific secondary label of the geographical indication, the protected geographical indication ‘Capón de Vilalba’ must be mentioned. The label must also include the European protected geographical indications logo. The labels of ‘Capón de Nadal’ capons must also include the mention of this term.

4. Concise definition of the geographical area

The geographical area of the protected geographical indication ‘Capón de Vilalba’ comprises the entirety of the region of ‘Terra Chá’, in the province of Lugo in the Autonomous Community of Galicia, which includes the following municipalities: Muras, Xermade, Vilalba, Abadín, A Pastoriza, Guitiriz, Begonte, Cospeito and Castro de Rei.

5. Link with the geographical area

The registration of this geographical indication is based on certain specific characteristics of the product that are linked to the environment — with its natural and human factors — and also on its high reputation.

The defined geographical area is characterised by the existence of many small family-owned livestock farms where rearing capons has traditionally been a secondary activity intended to boost the farm's income. The damp climate, with mild summers and minimal temperature variations, favours the cultivation of crops which are a key feature in the capons' feed, especially pasture and cereals, and in particular maize. The cold period lasts from November to March, with average monthly temperatures of between 5 and 10 °C. It is a period which is avoided in traditional capon-rearing, which lasts from April/May to December, with the birds being kept indoors during this last month.

The small family-owned farms still use traditional methods for rearing and handling the birds, with a low density in the poultry house as well as in the poultry yard, where the animals spend a large part of their day, allowing them a great amount of exercise. These conditions also have a direct effect on the organoleptic characteristics of the meat.

The use of semi-heavy birds with a slow growth rate, and which are adapted to the environment and system used for rearing, is also a factor which influences the characteristics of the product.

In addition, the diet — based on cereals, with maize playing an important role — also contributes to the characteristics of the meat and to the yellowish colour of the carcass. The final feeding stage takes place in a more confined space and uses a specific diet in which the basic diet from the previous stage is supplemented with ‘amoado’ — made according to a local technique combining maize meal with boiled potato and/or boiled chestnuts. This is further proof of the special expertise of the local producers, which has a direct influence on the characteristics of the product. It is important to bear in mind that the area produces large amounts of maize, potatoes and chestnuts which, in conjunction with the grasses and legumes that make up the very pastures and meadows used by the birds, form the basis of their diet. Therefore, the majority of the raw materials used for the diet come from the region, if not from the same farm.

In short, the type of bird used, the way in which it is reared and the diet it is provided with are responsible for both the appearance of the carcass and the quality, succulence and tenderness of the meat. Several scientific studies have demonstrated the influence of this type of rearing and handling of the birds on the quality of the meat and its organoleptic properties. Thus, animals reared in these conditions have a redder meat, with a greater consistency, a higher protein content, and a more intense aroma.

The specific way in which the ‘Capón de Nadal’ is presented for marketing, as described in paragraph 3.2, is yet another example of the specificity of the product, which results from the expertise of the area's inhabitants.

The high reputation that these capons enjoy has made them worthy of the recognition imparted by its inclusion in the Inventario español de productos tradicionales (Spanish Inventory of Traditional Products) published by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in 1996.

This reputation dates back a long time. The earliest known reports of capons being reared and eaten in Galicia date from the Middle Ages; there are numerous documents dating from this period detailing meetings in which those present promised to pay part of their rent using capons. Even in much more recent times, reference can be found to the fact that this custom of using capons as payment has been preserved, which gives an idea of the high prestige that this product has held in the region throughout various periods of history.

Since the beginning of the 20th Century, there have been numerous publications that mention not only the ‘Capón de Vilalba’, but also the ‘Feria de Vilalba’, the fair at which the capon was traditionally sold. For example, references can be found in newspapers such as El Eco de Villalba which, in 1908, reported on the custom of paying taxes using capons, and El Regional which, in 1927, also contained references to the capon fairs held in Vilalba and the success they enjoyed.

There are numerous references by Galician writers to the customs and traditions related to this product, as well as quotations attesting to the quality of the capons from this region.

Manuel María, the region's greatest poet, provided us with a verse or two on the capon in his 1954 book Terra Chá, as well as texts about the Feria de Vilalba.

In his renowned book La Cocina Gallega (Galician Cuisine) (1973), the multi-talented Álvaro Cunqueiro, one of the greatest authors of Galician literature and a prestigious gourmet, provides an impassioned appreciation of capons reared in various municipalities of Terra Chá and sold at the Feria de Vilalba.

Another notable reference point for Galician culture, Ramón Otero Pedrayo alludes to the ‘Capones de Vilalba’ in the chronicle of his journey to San Andrés de Teixido (in his 1929 work Pelegrinaxes).

As has already been mentioned, the product and its reputation are closely related to the fair that takes place in Vilalba. Historical references to the existence of this fair date back almost two centuries, with notes appearing in town hall records from 1835. Average prices in that year are reported as being ‘10 reales for a pair’. An official record of prices from 1840 reveals that a pair of capons was valued at the same price as ‘a good clean ram’ (12 reales), and that capon markets were held not only at Christmas, but also in January and February, unlike today. From 1900 to 1947, the price of a pair of capons rose from 10 pesetas to 100 pesetas. In 1949 the value lay at 200 pesetas, and the price for a pair continued to rise gradually until 1974, when it was rumoured that a pair of capons had been sold for 8 000 pesetas — an unusual amount given that the average price at that time was between 4 000 pesetas and 6 000 pesetas. The average prices of capons sold at the fair in Vilalba over the last 10 years was between EUR 80 and EUR 120 per capon, and it is even usual to pay up to EUR 140 for a capon. For carcasses of around 5 kg, this means a price per kg of approximately EUR 20. This compares to a standard capon from another area which can cost around EUR 10 to 15 per kg. The Galician, and also Spanish media, contain plenty of information each year in the Christmas period about this fair and the prices paid, as can be confirmed by carrying out a search on the Internet. The numerous hits obtained when searching with the name of this product, and the high prices paid, are further proof of its current reputation.

Reference to publication of the specification

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

http://mediorural.xunta.gal/fileadmin/arquivos/alimentacion/produtos_calidade/2017/Pliego_de_condiciones_CAPON_de_VILALBA_febrero_2017_C.pdf

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