Publication of the amended single document following the approval of a minor amendment pursuant to the second subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council

(2019/C 266/06)

The European Commission has approved this minor amendment in accordance with the third subparagraph of Article 6(2) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 664/2014 (1).

The application for approval of this minor amendment can be consulted in the Commission’s DOOR database.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘ACEITE DE LUCENA’

EU No: PDO-ES-0760-AM01 — 17.1.2019

PDO ( X ) PGI ( )

1. Name

‘Aceite de Lucena’

2. Member State or Third Country

Spain

3. Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1. Type of product

Class 1.5. Oils and fats (butter, margarine, oil, etc.)

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

The product protected by the designation of origin is extra virgin olive oil obtained from the fruit of olive trees (Olea europaea L.), mainly of the Hojiblanca variety (over 90 %) and of other accepted secondary varieties (Arbequina, Picual, Lechín, Tempranilla, Ocal, Campanile and Chorruo) exclusively through a physical or mechanical process of extraction at low temperature that does not alter the chemical composition of the oils, thus preserving the taste, aroma and characteristics of the fruit from which it is made.

Colour: between bright green and yellowish green, depending on the time of harvest (2/4 to 3/4 on the BTB scale).

Flavour: the protected oils are oils of medium fruitiness with notes of almond and green grass and a balance between bitter and pungent flavours, which are both very mild.

Aroma: the fruity aroma of green grass is dominant.

Physical/chemical and organoleptic parameters of the oil:

Acidity: maximum 0,8 %

Peroxide value: not more than 0,2 meq O2/kg oil

Ultraviolet absorbency (K270): maximum 0,15

Moisture: Maximum 0,2 %

Polyphenols (caffeic acid): minimum 100 ppm and an average of 350 ppm

Median fruitiness (Mf): equal to or more than 3

Median pungency: 1 to 3

Median bitterness: 1 to 3

Median defect (Md): 0

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

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

The production of the olives and the preparation of the product take place within the geographical area defined in point 4.

Consequently, the pruning of the olive trees, the harvesting, cleaning, washing, crushing and mixing of the olives, and the phase separation and decanting of the oil must be performed 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

All containers of extra virgin olive oil covered by the Protected Designation of Origin ‘Aceite de Lucena’ must bear a secondary label, issued by the Regulatory Board, which must feature the words ‘Aceite de Lucena’, the logo and a unique serial number for each container.

4. Concise definition of the geographical area

The geographical area is located in the south of the province of Córdoba (Spain) and includes the towns of Aguilar de la Frontera, Benamejí, Encinas Reales, Iznajar, Lucena, Montilla Moriles, Monturque and Rute and the eastern part of the municipality of Puente Genil, on the right bank of the River Genil.

5. Link with the geographical area

Specificity of the geographical area:

Natural factors

The area’s limestone soils have high levels of carbonate. They are considered to be poor soils with little vertical development and a moderate deficiency in organic matter. They are rich in calcium and therefore have a high pH of 6 to 8.

The average altitude above sea level ranges from 171 m in Puente Genil to 800 m in Iznájar. The highest points in the region, with altitudes over 1 200 m, are located in the mountain range of the Subbética.

The area has a Mediterranean climate, with cold-temperate winters and hot, dry summers. Unlike the rest of the province, the area where ‘Aceite de Lucena’ PDO is produced shows only a few features of continentalisation.

Human factors

The usual planting density, as well as the spacing applied in the area, allows for perfect light penetration throughout the productive area of the trees, which is greatly helped by the pruning methods used for planting, growing, maintaining and tidying the olive trees.

The harvest in the geographical area is carried out on the basis of maturity and oil yield analyses. This facilitates the production of milder oils thanks to the changes in levels of polyphenols while avoiding natural fruit drop.

The system by which the olives are harvested, transported to the oil mill and pressed is such that these operations can be performed in an average time of 24 hours and a maximum of 72 hours.

Specificity of the product

Physical and chemical characteristics

Acidity: maximum 0,8 %

Peroxide value: not more than 0,2 meq O2/kg oil

Ultraviolet absorbency (K270): maximum 0,15

Moisture: maximum 0,2 %

Polyphenols (caffeic acid): minimum 100 ppm.

average of 350 ppm.

Organoleptic characteristics

Median fruitiness (Mf): equal to or more than 3

Median pungency: between 1 and 3

Median bitterness: between 1 and 3

Median defect (Md): 0

Distinct yet mild presence of well-balanced bitter and pungent flavours.

The oil owes its mild taste and aroma, along with its characteristic almond-like (‘almendrado’) fruitiness, to the Hojiblanca olive, which is the staple variety and therefore a determining factor in the composition of the oils produced in the area.

Low acidity of the oil, never exceeding 0,8 % by volume and typically between 0,1 and 0,3.

Presence of green fruity aroma of freshly cut grass in the organoleptic assessment.

The colour of the oils is predominantly green.

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):

The typical environment of the production area of ‘Aceite de Lucena’ PDO, namely the average altitude, the limestone soils with high levels of carbonate compounds and the Mediterranean climate, produces oils that are rich in polyphenols. As a result, these oils present different sensory properties, in particular a distinct but mild presence of pungent and bitter flavours.

The pungency derives from the presence of phenol in the oils. This monomer occurs when levels of polyphenols are higher, provided it is not subsequently spoiled due to high temperatures or excessive use of water during production.

Similarly, the bitterness stems from the presence of aglycone, which occurs when polyphenols break down. Higher levels of polyphenols therefore benefit the formation of aglycone.

The olive varieties that are covered by the PDO ‘Aceite de Lucena’ and grown in the production area are different in that their total polyphenol content allows for the production of mild oils with a good balance between spicy and bitter flavours.

The growing practices in the region of Lucena, in particular the early harvesting, the processing at low temperatures and the speedy processing of the olives from the time of harvest, affect the acidity and the sensory characteristics of its oils (organoleptic features). It is mainly because of these practices that the oils produced have low acidity levels.

The early harvesting leads to the formation of trans-2-hexenal aldehyde which causes an aroma of green grass to develop provided that the process is handled with care, the temperature is not raised, and not much water is used.

This also imparts a predominantly green colour to the oil, which turns more golden, almost yellowish green as olives are harvested later in the season.

Extracting at low temperature, using low percentages of water in the process and storing the oil in suitable and completely inert containers allows the organoleptic characteristics of the products to be preserved and maintained.

Reference to publication of the product specification

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

https://juntadeandalucia.es/export/drupaljda/Pliego_Aceite_de_Lucena_modificado.pdf

(1) OJ L 179, 19.6.2014, p. 17.