Publication of an application for approval of amendments, which are not minor, to a Product Specification 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

(2019/C 393/03)

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) within three months from the date of this publication.

APPLICATION FOR APPROVAL OF AN AMENDMENT TO THE PRODUCT SPECIFICATION OF PROTECTED DESIGNATIONS OF ORIGIN/PROTECTED GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATIONS WHICH IS NOT MINOR

Application for approval of an amendment in accordance with the first subparagraph of Article 53(2), of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012

‘CINTA SENESE’

EU No: PDO-IT-0491-AM01 – 5.4.2019

PDO (X) PGI ()

1. Applicant group and legitimate interest

Consorzio di Tutela della Cinta Senese DOP Strada di Cerchiaia, 41/4 53100 Siena ITALY

Tel. +39 05771606961

Fax +39 05771601244

Email: info@cintasenesedop.it

The Consorzio di Tutela della Cinta Senese DOP (‘Cinta Senese’ PDO Protection Consortium) is made up of ‘Cinta Senese’ producers. It is authorised to submit an amendment application under Article 13(1) of Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policy Decree No 12511 of 14 October 2013.

2. Member State or third country

Italy

3. Heading in the product specification affected by the amendment(s)

☐ Product name

☒ Product description

☒ Geographical area

☐ Proof of origin

☒ Production method

☐ Link

☒ Labelling

☒ Other [Inspections]

4. Type of amendment(s)

☒ Amendment to the Product Specification of a registered PDO or PGI not to be qualified as minor in accordance with the third subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.

☐ Amendment to Product Specification of a registered PDO or PGI for which a Single Document (or equivalent) has not been published and which is not to be qualified as minor in accordance with the third subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012

5. Amendments

Product description

— Article 1 of the Product Specification: ‘The protected designation of origin (PDO) “Cinta Senese” is used exclusively to designate meat from pigs that are born, reared and slaughtered in Tuscany and meet the conditions and requirements set out in this Product Specification drawn up under Regulation (EC) No 510/2006.’

has been amended as follows:

‘The protected designation of origin (PDO) “Cinta Senese” is used exclusively to designate all edible parts of the carcases of pigs that are born, reared and slaughtered in Tuscany and meet the conditions and requirements set out in this Product Specification drawn up under Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.’

The amendments are as follows:

1. The phrase ‘meat from pigs’ has been replaced with ‘all edible parts of the carcases of pigs’ because the new version of Article 2 provides that the ‘Cinta Senese’ PDO should not only be used to designate the cuts of the carcase defined as ‘meat’ but also any other edible parts of the carcase. This amendment has been made to point 4.2 of the summary sheet published in OJ C 200/16 of 7 July 2011 and has been incorporated into point 3.2 of the Single Document attached to this amendment application.

2. ‘Regulation (EC) No 510/2006’ has been replaced with ‘Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012’ in order to update the text so it refers to the PDO-PGI-TSG legislation that is currently applicable.

— In Article 2 of the Product Specification the following text: ‘“Cinta Senese” PDO is used exclusively to designate meat produced in accordance with this Product Specification. — Physical and chemical characteristics “Cinta Senese” PDO meat must have the following physical and chemical characteristics (per 100 g of edible meat – 24 hours post mortem): — water content: not more than 78 %; — fat content: not less than 2,5 % (with reference to the longissimus dorsi muscle); — pH 45 (pH measured 45 minutes post mortem): from 6 to 6,5. — Visual and organoleptic characteristics In order to be entitled to protection under the designation of origin, “Cinta Senese” PDO meat must have the following visual and organoleptic characteristics: — colour: vivid pink and/or red; — texture: finely grained; — consistency: firm, lightly veined with fat, tender, succulent and smelling of fresh meat.’

has been amended as follows:

‘“Cinta Senese” PDO is used exclusively to designate all edible parts obtained in accordance with this Product Specification from pig carcases containing meat with the following characteristics:

— Physical and chemical characteristics (per 100 g of edible meat – 24 hours post mortem): — water content: not more than 78 %; — fat content: not less than 2,5 %; — pH 45 (pH measured 45 minutes post mortem): from 6 to 6,5.

— Sensory characteristics: — colour: vivid pink and/or red; — texture: finely grained; — consistency: firm, lightly veined with fat, tender and smelling of fresh meat.’

The following amendments have been made:

1. The word ‘meat’ has been replaced with ‘all edible parts’ so that the ‘Cinta Senese’ PDO designates not just the cuts of the carcase that qualify as ‘meat’ but also any other edible parts of the carcase, in line with the tradition that all the edible parts of the pig are eaten, not just the meat cuts.

2. The characteristics stipulated with regard to the ‘meat’ alone have been found to also accurately describe the entire carcase, such that ‘Cinta Senese’ PDO can be considered to refer not just to the ‘meat’ cuts but also to all the other edible parts of the carcase. — The following words have therefore been added: ‘from pig carcases containing meat with the following characteristics’; — the following sentences have been deleted because they limit the use of the ‘Cinta Senese’ PDO to solely the meat cuts: — ‘in order to be entitled to protection under the designation of origin, “Cinta Senese” PDO meat must have the following physical and chemical characteristics’; — ‘in order to be entitled to protection under the designation of origin, “Cinta Senese” PDO meat must have the following visual and organoleptic characteristics.’

3. The words ‘with reference to the longissimus dorsi muscle’ have been deleted given that the information relating to the fat content applies to other parts of the carcase too, with equally accurate results that are representative of the quality of the certified product. The requirement to check the information in question in relation to the ‘longissimus dorsi muscle’ alone is therefore a limitation that must be removed in line with the requirements in terms of water content and pH, for which the part of the carcase that is to be checked is not specified. This amendment has been made to point 4.2 of the summary sheet published in OJ C 200/16 of 7 July 2011 and has been incorporated into point 3.2 of the Single Document attached to this amendment application.

4. ‘Visual and organoleptic’ has been replaced with ‘sensory’ since the latter more accurately indicates the characteristics described (colour, texture, consistency). This amendment has been made to point 4.2 of the summary sheet published in OJ C 200/16 of 7 July 2011 and has been incorporated into point 3.2 of the Single Document attached to this amendment application.

5. The word ‘succulent’ has been deleted because it refers to a characteristic (‘succulence’) that cannot be verified simply by inspecting the product visually, succulence being the extent to which a food triggers salivation when chewed. This amendment has been made to point 4.2 of the summary sheet published in OJ C 200/16 of 7 July 2011 and has been incorporated into point 3.2 of the Single Document attached to this amendment application.

Geographical area

— In Article 3 of the Product Specification: ‘The geographical production area for “Cinta Senese” PDO meat comprises the administrative area of the Region of Tuscany up to an altitude of 1 200 metres above sea level, above which, environmental conditions are not suitable for pig rearing’

the word ‘meat’ has been deleted because in the new version of Article 2 the ‘Cinta Senese’ PDO is used to designate not only the cuts of the carcase defined as ‘meat’ but also any other edible parts of the carcase.

Production method

— The following extract from Article 5 of the Product Specification: ‘Breed: the pigs used to produce “Cinta Senese” PDO meat are exclusively the offspring of a boar and a sow of the breed “Cinta Senese” that are both registered in the “Cinta Senese” Population Register and/or the Herd book’

has been amended as follows:

‘Breed: the pigs from whose carcases cuts are taken that qualify as “Cinta Senese” PDO are exclusively the offspring of a boar and a sow of the “Cinta Senese” breed that are both registered in the “Cinta Senese” Population Register and/or the Herd book’.

This amendment involves replacing the phrase ‘used to produce “Cinta Senese” PDO meat’ with ‘from whose carcases cuts are taken that qualify as “Cinta Senese” PDO’, the intention being to make the text consistent with the new version of Article 2. This article ensures that it is not just the cuts of the carcase defined as ‘meat’ that can be designated as ‘Cinta Senese’ PDO but also any edible parts of the carcase.

— The following extract from Article 5 of the Product Specification: ‘Conversely for piglets up to the age of four months, given that they are also stable-fed, food supplements can be administered as their sole daily source of nutrition’

has been amended as such:

‘However, as piglets up to the age of four months and nursing sows may be reared in pens, feed supplements can constitute their total daily ration, without any restrictions with regard to the type of feed allowed.’

The amendment involves:

1. adding the phrase ‘and for nursing sows’ to extend the possibility of administering feed supplements as the sole daily ration to nursing sows, which have particular demands upon them during this phase of their life cycle and require sufficient protein levels in their diet;

2. adding the phrase ‘without any restrictions with regard to the type of feed allowed’ to establish that products given as feed supplements to piglets up to the age of four months and to nursing sows can differ from those administered in all other cases, since both are at particularly critical phases of their life cycle and thus require sufficient protein levels in their diet.

— The following extract from Article 5 of the Product Specification: ‘The following products are permitted as supplements: — energy products: all wholegrain cereals; — protein products: oilseeds (with the exception of soya and soya derivatives) and all whole pulses; — fibre: forage, fresh fruit and vegetables and the by-products of cereal milling’.

has been amended as follows:

‘The following products are permitted as supplements:

— energy products: all wholegrain cereals and/or their by-products, including milling by-products;

— protein products: oilseeds (except soya and soya derivatives) and all whole pulses and/or their by-products;

— fibre: forage, fresh fruit and vegetables and/or their by-products’.

This amendment involves:

1. the sentence ‘and/or their by-products’ being added to each category of foods used as supplements, in order to establish that for each of these, the relevant by-products may be used (in addition or as a replacement) since these foods have no health-related contraindications and their consumption has no negative impact on the cuts of the half-carcase that qualify as ‘Cinta Senese’ PDO;

2. deleting the phrase ‘by-products of cereal milling’ from the section on ‘fibre’, replacing it with ‘including milling by-products’ and adding it to the section on ‘cereals’ as is more logical; the intention is to make the text more readable.

This amendment has been incorporated into point 3.3 of the Single Document attached to this amendment application.

— In Article 5 of the Product Specification, after the phrase: ‘Hot branding and/or marking must be done at the slaughterhouse and/or the cutting plant respectively’

the phrase that originally appeared in Article 8 of the Product Specification has been added, unaltered:

‘The brand has to bear the “Cinta Senese” PDO logo and the slaughterhouse code’

as this rule regards an aspect (hot branding) that refers to a phase prior to the product being placed on the market (butchery) that is subject to the provisions of Article 5, while Article 8 relates to information which the product must contain when placed on the market (after it has been slaughtered and carved up).

— In the following extract from Article 5 of the Product Specification: ‘After slaughter the meat is refrigerated and carved up to obtain the cuts and portions that are to be released for consumption or suitable for traditional Tuscan cured meat processing methods’

the word ‘meat’ has been replaced with ‘half-carcase’ because the new version of Article 2 provides that the ‘Cinta Senese’ PDO should not only be used to designate parts of the carcase defined as ‘meat’ but also any edible part of the carcase.

‘After slaughter the half-carcase is refrigerated and carved up to obtain the cuts and portions that are to be released for consumption or suitable for traditional Tuscan cured meat processing methods’.

Labelling

— In Article 8 of the Product Specification: ‘All cuts taken from the branded half-carcase and intended for the final consumer must be stamped with the following information: 1. the logo referred to in Article 9; 2. the name of the protected designation: “Cinta Senese” PDO; 3. the Community symbol or the wording “Denominazione d’Origine Protetta” (“Protected Designation of Origin”); 4. the traceability code from which the animal can be identified (place and date of birth), the place and date of slaughter and cutting, in addition to the quantities put on sale. For anatomical cuts and/or pre-packaged products the stamp with the abovementioned information must be done in such a way that it cannot be tampered with. Any information that provides a guarantee for the consumer’

is replaced by the following:

‘All cuts taken from the branded half-carcase and intended for the final consumer must be stamped with the following information:

1. the logo referred to in Article 9;

2. the name of the protected designation: “Cinta Senese” PDO;

3. the EU symbol;

4. the traceability code from which the animal can be identified (place and date of birth), the place and date of slaughter and cutting, in addition to the quantities put on sale.

For pre-packaged products intended for the final consumer, the above information must be included by means of a stamp corresponding to the relevant product and done in such a way that it cannot be tampered with.

Any information that provides a guarantee for the consumer can also be included’.

The amendments are as follows:

1. regarding point No 3, the word ‘Community’ has been replaced with ‘EU’ to make the specification clearer and ‘or the wording “Denominazione d’Origine Protetta” (“Protected Designation of Origin”)’ can be deleted because (as established by Article 12(3) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012), the EU symbol is essential and cannot be used as an alternative to the wording ‘Protected Designation of Origin’ or the abbreviation ‘PDO’ (which is already a requirement under point (2). The amendment has been made to point 4.8 of the summary sheet published in OJ C 200/16 of 7 July 2011 and has been incorporated into point 3.6 of the Single Document attached to this amendment application;

2. the words ‘For anatomical cuts and/or pre-packaged products the stamp with the above-mentioned information must be done in such a way that it cannot be tampered with’ are replaced with the following: ‘For pre-packaged products intended for the final consumer, the above information must be included by means of a stamp corresponding to the relevant product and done in such a way that it cannot be tampered with.’ This is intended to make the specification clearer. The amendment has been made to point 4.8 of the summary sheet published in OJ C 200/16 of 7 July 2011 and has been incorporated into point 3.6 of the Single Document attached to this amendment application;

3. the words ‘can also be included’ have been added onto the end of the sentence ‘Any information that provides a guarantee for the consumer’, which appears in Article 8. This is intended to make the meaning of the text clearer.

Other

Controls

— In Article 7 of the Product Specification the following text: ‘Verification of compliance with the Product Specification shall be carried out by a control body, in accordance with the provisions of Articles 10 and 11 of Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006. The body in question is Istituto Nord Est Qualità - I.N.E.Q, Via Nazionale, 33/35 - 33030 Villanova di San Daniele del Friuli (Udine), Italia, tel. +39 0432956951, fax +39 0432956955, email: info@ineq.it.’

has been amended to ensure that specification reflects the changes in the guidelines on PDO-PGI-TSG and to update the details of the control body, whose business name and contact details have changed (subsequent to the approval of the text of the Product Specification):

‘Compliance with the Product Specification is verified in accordance with Article 37 of Regulation (EU) No 115/2012. The control body responsible for this is IFCQ CERTIFICAZIONI, Via Rodeano n. 71, San Daniele del Friuli (Udine), Italia, tel. +39 0432940349, fax +39 0432943357, email: info@ifcq.it, ifcq@pec.it’

SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘Cinta Senese’

EU No: PDO-IT-0491-AM01 – 5.4.2019

PDO (X) PGI ()

1. Name(s)

‘Cinta Senese’

2. Member State or third country

Italy

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 ‘Cinta Senese’ protected designation of origin is used exclusively to designate all edible parts of the carcase of pigs of the ‘Cinta Senese’ breed that are raised in wild/semi-wild conditions and are the offspring of a boar and a sow that are both registered in the ‘Cinta Senese’ breed Population Register and/or the Herd book.

When released for consumption, ‘Cinta Senese’ PDO meat must have the following physical and chemical characteristics (per 100 g of edible meat – 24 hours post mortem): water content: not more than 78 %, fat content: not less than 2,5 %, pH 45 (pH measured 45 minutes post mortem): from 6 to 6,5.

In addition, it must have the following sensory characteristics: colour: vivid pink and/or red, texture: finely grained, consistency: firm, lightly veined with fat, tender and smelling of fresh meat.

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

The pigs forage in woods and/or on pasture land sown with forage and cereal crops within the area defined in point 4. Daily food supplements can be administered as part of the permitted daily ration for pigs that are older than four months. This cannot exceed 2 % of the animal’s live weight.

Only and exclusively in the event of or following weather conditions so adverse as to prevent the full use of pasture land or woods for foraging, such as drought, prolonged periods of rain or snow cover, is a daily food supplement of not more than 3 % of the live weight allowed so as to guarantee the animals a normal dietary intake.

At least 60 % of the total weight of the ingredients of the supplementary feed given to the animals must be sourced from the geographical production area.

The following products are permitted as supplements:

— energy products: all wholegrain cereals and/or their by-products, including milling by-products;

— protein products: oilseeds (except soya and soya derivatives) and all whole grain legumes and/or their by-products;

— fibre: forage, fresh fruit and vegetables and/or their by-products.

Vitamin and/or mineral supplements may also be used.

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

The production stages that must take place in the geographical production area referred to in point 4 of this Product Specification are the birth, rearing and slaughter of the animals from which ‘Cinta Senese’ PDO is produced.

3.5. Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc. of the product the registered name refers to

–

3.6. Specific rules concerning labelling of the product to which the registered name refers

The ‘Cinta Senese’ half-carcase must be branded at the following points: hind leg, back, belly, shoulder and cheek. The brand has to bear the ‘Cinta Senese’ PDO logo and the slaughterhouse code.

All cuts taken from the branded half-carcase and intended for the final consumer must be stamped with the following information:

1) the logo;

2) the name of the protected designation: ‘Cinta Senese’ PDO;

3) the EU symbol;

4) the traceability code from which the animal can be identified (place and date of birth), the place and date of slaughter and cutting, in addition to the quantities put on sale.

For pre-packaged products intended for the final consumer, the above information must be included by means of a stamp corresponding to the relevant product and done in such a way that it cannot be tampered with.

The logo consists of a dark red heraldic shield with a picture of a dark grey pig with a white band round its middle, the whole device surrounded by a dark red circle inside which is written ‘allevata in Toscana secondo tradizione’ (‘traditionally reared in Tuscany’). The words ‘Cinta Senese D.O.P.’ (‘Cinta Senese PDO’) figure below the heraldic shield outside the circle. The logo can be reproduced with the same device in black and white on various supports, either enlarged or reduced provided the proportions and layout of the text are respected.

4. Concise definition of the geographical area

The production area comprises the whole of the Region of Tuscany up to an altitude of 1 200 m above sea level; above this altitude the environmental conditions are not suitable for production.

5. Link with the geographical area

The link between ‘Cinta Senese’ PDO and its area of origin is justified precisely because of how this breed is reared and fed, giving the product the characteristics described in point 3.2. The defined geographical area is distinguished by its mixed woodland rich in types of oak tree, perfect for acorn production, and for its small amount of arable land. These pastures, often poor and with high levels of clay, are usually sown with forage crops and are a typical feature of Tuscany’s soil and climatic conditions. Human intervention has, over the centuries, led to the development of the ‘Cinta Senese’ breed, which is strong limbed and robust in general, and hardy, frugal, adaptable and disease resistant such as to be able to survive almost exclusively on the natural resources that are native to the Tuscan environment; to this day, as in far-off times, the typical method of rearing is wild or semi-wild. In practice, the pigs forage in the woods and on suitable land, and are only kept in pens at night or during critical moments pre and post-partum. This form of rearing, which allows the pigs to forage freely in the woods and on the land, limits health problems and means the animals are not stressed, which in turn results in high quality meat. Furthermore, in addition to the light intramuscular fat veining that is visible on the cuts, another characteristic is the minimal fat content specified in point 3.2, which is not common to all pigmeat and is considered to be an important factor that ensures the meat’s tastiness and flavour. The other aspect that renders ‘Cinta Senese’ meat of nutritional interest is its composition in unsaturated fatty acids — characterised by higher levels of oleic acid, the precursor of flavours that enhance the meat’s organoleptic characteristics, and lower levels of linoleic acid, which when they are too high undermine the quality of the product — which is the result of the pigs foraging freely in the Tuscan woods and pastures.

Furthermore, the pasturage influences the pigs’ genetic composition making the meat better suited for consumption fresh and for processed products, in that this factor results in superior water retention capacity and therefore less shrinkage during cooking due to water loss and less loss of brine in the initial stages of curing processed products.

It must be pointed out that ‘Cinta Senese’ meat is today directly associated with its region of origin partly because in the past there was major promotion of its qualities as it was considered to be an integral part of the Tuscan culinary tradition. Thanks to these initiatives organised by the regional administrations, the market share of ‘Cinta Senese’ meat steadily expanded, to the extent that even restaurant menus started to include the designation ‘Cinta Senese’ with regard to various cuts of meat.

To this day, ‘Cinta Senese’ meat is highly sought after to the extent that it commands much higher prices as compared to other meat, as evidenced by the price listing of the Siena Chamber of Commerce, Crafts and Agriculture of 2001 and 2002.

Reference to publication of the specification

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

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:

on the home page of the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policy (www.politicheagricole.it). The text can be accessed by clicking on ‘Qualità’ (at the top right of the screen), then on ‘Prodotti DOP IGP STG’ (on the left-hand side of the screen) and finally on ‘Disciplinari di Produzione all’esame dell’UE’.

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