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

(2023/C 34/11)

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 three months from the date of this publication.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘Grebbestadostron’

EU No: PDO-SE-02819 — 30.11.2021

PDO (X) PGI ( )

1. Name(s)

‘Grebbestadostron’

2. Member State or Third Country

Sweden

3. Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1. Type of product

Class 1.7. Fresh fish, molluscs, crustaceans and products derived therefrom

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

The protected indication ‘Grebbestadostron’ covers wild-caught live European flat oysters (Ostrea edulis).

‘Grebbestadostron’ have the following characteristics:

Physical characteristics

Shape:

A drop-like, rounded shape reminiscent of the upper side of a hand that is balled but not clenched. The other side is flat. Circular, moulded, fan-shaped markings radiating from the slightly more pointed part of the oyster.

Size:

Diameter: 7–15 cm

Weight: 100–150 grams

Organoleptic characteristics

Colour of shell:

Exterior: Varies according to the depth at which the oysters live. In shallower waters with plenty of light, the oysters are white with greenish iridescence. In deeper waters the colour takes on a deeper tone that tends towards purple.

Interior: Mother-of-pearl white with violet tones. The edge of the shell displays shades of deep emerald green.

Colour of meat:

Light sand tones (NCS[1] S2010-Y10R). Darker tones of Sienna brown (NCS S6005-Y80R). The grain of the meat is golden ochre (NCS S3030-Y20R). The meat has a lustre similar to that of an opaque jellyfish.

Flavour:

Salt water, minerals, seaweed and umami, slightly nutty. A long full aftertaste of umami and a mineral saltiness.

Aroma:

A sense of the sea, mineral accompanied by seaweed and fresh fish.

Texture:

Firm and fleshy. The texture varies in different parts of the oyster from firm to relatively soft.

Mouthfeel:

It is a special experience, because the entire oyster is usually eaten fresh in one go. The oysters’ flavours are rich and full, with strong associations with the sea.

Chemical characteristics (per 100 g of oyster meat)

Water: 80–83 g

Protein: 9,3–9,9 g

Carbohydrate: 2–4 g

Salt: 0,25–0,35 g

Fat: 2,0–2,4 g

of which:

— Saturated fat: 0,5–0,6 g

— Monounsaturated fat: 0,2–0,3 g

— Polyunsaturated fat: 0,5–0,7 g of which: — Omega-6: 0,05–0,09 g — Omega-3: 0,50–0,65 g

Vitamins

Thiamine: 0,10–0,15 mg

Riboflavin: 0,15–0,20 mg

Niacin: 2,0–3,9 mg

B6: 0,1–0,2 mg/100 g

Vitamin E: 0,9–1,1 mg

Minerals

Calcium: 80–90 mg

Phosphorus: 140–160 mg

Iron: 5,5–6,5 mg

Magnesium: 25–30 mg

Potassium: 110–130 mg

Zinc: 45–50 mg

[1] Natural Color System

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

‘Grebbestadostron’ feed mainly on microalgae of a size of 20–30 μm but can also eat larger particles, such as zooplankton and fish eggs.

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

The entire production process must take place within the geographical area specified in point 4.

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 the registered name refers to

—

4. Concise definition of the geographical area

The production area of ‘Grebbestadostron’ consists of the northern and southern archipelagos of Grebbestad, i.e. the parts of the Bohuslän archipelago located within the districts of Lur, Tanum, Fjällbacka and Kville. At sea, the baseline is the outer boundary of the area. The production area comprises the part of the coast within 5 km of the coastline.

5. Link with the geographical area

The characteristics of ‘Grebbestadostron’ depend on the interplay between natural and human factors.

Specific characteristics of the product:

‘Grebbestadostron’ are European flat oysters that grow on natural oyster banks in Grebbestad’s northern and southern archipelagos. ‘Grebbestadostron’ grow slowly, because the water in the production area is cold, relatively nutrient-poor and low in salinity. It takes 3 to 5 years for the oyster to reach the minimum statutory harvest size. The slow growth affects the oyster’s organoleptic characteristics.

Compared to the invasive Pacific oyster (Magallana gigas), which grows rapidly in the production area, the slow-growing ‘Grebbestadostron’ have a much more intense and fuller taste as well as more noticeable and pronounced notes of minerals and umami. ‘Grebbestadostron’ also have a markedly longer and more intense aftertaste. The meat is firmer than that of M. gigas, meaning that ‘Grebbestadostron’ have a more pronounced resistance to the bite.

Natural factors:

The characteristics of ‘Grebbestadostron’ depend on the natural conditions of the production area.

‘Grebbestadostron’ form part of the Swedish population of the European flat oyster (O. edulis). The population is estimated to comprise around 40 million individuals. As a result of separation by distance and evolutionary adaptation to, among other things, water temperature and salinity, the Swedish population of O. edulis is genetically distinct from the populations of European flat oyster that live in more southern parts of the Atlantic. However, there is less genetic variation within the population than in the more southerly populations.

The relatively good status of the Swedish population of O. edulis is mainly due to private ownership of fishing rights, small-scale fishing and the fact that the water is parasite-free (M. mackini).

The water in the production area is relatively cold (the average annual temperature of the surface water is around 8–10 °C) and the salt content low (2,7 % on average), which means that the oysters caught for the production of ‘Grebbestadostron’ live at the limits of the species’s range.

The nutrient conditions in the waters of the ‘Grebbestadostron’ production area are largely influenced by the surface current of the Baltic Sea. The contents of the nutritive salts phosphorus and nitrogen are low (on average 0,8 μM and 20 μM, respectively), and this limits the growth of the oysters’ primary food, microalgae.

The natural conditions of the ‘Grebbestadostron’ production area (sheltered locations, depth, seabeds of the right type, the right gradient and orientation) provide good conditions for the production of oysters.

The oysters caught for the production of ‘Grebbestadostron’ grow on semi-hard sediment beds with a maximum gradient of 45° down to a depth of approximately 10 metres. The seabeds become muddier at greater depths. The oysters do not thrive on such beds. Nor do they thrive on east-facing beds.

The oyster banks are protected from the waves and winds of the open sea by the outer ring of islands in the northern and southern archipelagos of Grebbestad.

Human factors:

The oyster fishermen’s knowledge of the European flat oyster’s biology and life cycle and of the water and seabed conditions in the production area, together with the management of the oyster population on the natural oyster banks, is crucial for both the availability and the quality of ‘Grebbestadostron’.

‘Grebbestadostron’ are fished in a unique and gentle way that contributes to the characteristic quality of ‘Grebbestadostron’. The oysters may only be caught in nets by wading fishermen or hand-picked by experienced divers. Most oysters are hand-picked by divers. As the divers do not disturb any material on the seabed, the catching of ‘Grebbestadostron’ has little impact on the oysters that are left on the oyster banks to filter the production area’s clean, clear water.

Fishing is limited to 70 000‘Grebbestadostron’ per year, with particular account being taken of the survival of the European flat oyster and thus of the continued availability of ‘Grebbestadostron’. In connection with the fishing of ‘Grebbestadostron’, the fishermen take various steps to maintain the oyster banks in the production area.

The oysters, which grow on top of each other in larger clusters, are separated and spread over a larger area so that all the oysters have good access to nutrients and thus an increased chance of survival. The small oysters growing on the surface of the ‘Grebbestadostron’ that are caught are scraped off by hand, tended and put back out on the oyster banks. Before being put back out on the oyster banks, small oysters of the invasive Pacific oyster species (Magallana gigas) are first removed so as not to contribute to its spread.

In order to ensure the reproduction of O. edulis, ‘Grebbestadostron’ are not caught during the reproduction period of the European flat oyster in July–August.

Thanks to the measures and care taken by oyster fishermen when fishing for ‘Grebbestadostron’, the population of the European flat oyster is steadily increasing in the production area.

Reference to publication of the specification

https://www.livsmedelsverket.se/globalassets/foretag-regler-kontroll/livsmedelsinformation-markning-halsopastaenden/skyddade-beteckningar/produktbeskrivning_grebbestadostron_2022_03_31.pdf

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