EN Official Journal of the European Union C 481/21

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

(2016/C 481/11)

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).

SINGLE DOCUMENT

Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs (*1)

‘VITELLONI PIEMONTESI DELLA COSCIA’

EC No: IT-PGI-0005-01198 — 18.2.2014

PGI ( X ) PDO ( )

1. Name

‘Vitelloni Piemontesi della Coscia’

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 the product to which the name in 1 applies

The Protected Geographical Indication ‘Vitelloni Piemontesi della Coscia’ is used exclusively to designate the meat from slaughtered male and female Piedmontese cattle that are registered in the relevant Herd Book or offspring of animals both of which are registered in the Herd Book, that are older than 12 months and have been reared and fattened in the production area from weaning to slaughter.

Carcasses from which ‘Vitelloni Piemontesi della Coscia’ meat is taken are classified in accordance with the ‘Community scale for the classification of adult bovine animals’. Categories: A carcasses of uncastrated young male animals aged less than 24 months; C carcasses of castrated male animals; E carcasses of other female animals. Conformation class: S, E and U. Classification R is permitted for category E.

Degree of fat cover: 1, 2. Cold carcasses must weigh more than: 360 kg in category A; 260 kg in category E; 320 kg in category C.

Yield at slaughter must be 62 % or over for male animals and 59 % or over for female and castrated animals.

The meat must mature for at least 4 days from the date of slaughter.

The pH of the carcasses at 24 hours after slaughter must be below 6. The pH is measured in the Longissimus thoracis muscle.

The meat varies in colour from pink to bright red.

3.3. Raw materials (for processed products only)

—

3.4. Feed (for products of animal origin only)

After weaning, which takes place at between 3 to 8 months, and until slaughter, the cattle are fed on a mixture of forage and feed concentrates. At least 70 % of the forage consists of natural or cultivated meadows in the production area; the concentrate comprises simple or compound feeds, to which any mineral or vitamin feed supplements or additives permitted by law may be added. Cereals and cereal by-products must make up more than 60 % of the total feed content.

The fodder that grows in the production area, composed mostly of grasses and leguminous plants, has excellent nutritional properties that results in a notable increase in the feed efficiency, with the additional advantage of including higher energy feeds. This justifies the inclusion, in the feed used to raise ‘Vitelloni Piemontesi della Coscia’, of a high percentage of cereals, also grown in the production area, required to satisfy the high energy needs of this breed of cattle. It is thus possible to produce carcasses with an optimal yield at slaughter, the right amount of fat, exceptional muscle development, a good reserve of glycogen which is essential for lowering the pH of the carcass, which is a prerequisite for optimal meat conservation.

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

The animals are reared and fattened in the geographical area defined in point 4.

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

—

3.7. Specific rules concerning labelling

The label bears the name ‘Vitelloni Piemontesi della Coscia’ and/or its logo, the words ‘Indicazione Geografica Protetta’ and its abbreviation IGP, and the Community symbol. The label has to display the sales name ‘adult bovine’, as provided by the national legislation in force.

The designation’s logo is:

4. Concise definition of the geographical area

The production area of ‘Vitelloni Piemontesi della Coscia’ PGI comprises the administrative territory specified below.

Piedmont Region: the provinces of Alessandria, Asti, Cuneo and Torino. Province of Biella: only the municipalities of Benna, Biella, Borriana, Camburzano, Candelo, Cavaglià, Cerretto Castello, Cerrione, Cossato, Crosa, Donato, Dorzano, Gaglianico, Graglia, Lessona, Magnano, Massazza, Mongrando, Mottalciata, Muzzano, Netro, Occhieppo Inferiore, Occhieppo Superiore, Pollone, Ponderano, Quaregna, Roppolo, Sala Biellese, Salussola, Sandigliano, Sordevolo, Strona, Valdengo, Verrone, Villanova Biellese, Vigliano Biellese, Viverone, Torrazzo, Zimone, Zubiena and Zumaglia. Province of Novara: only the municipalities of Agrate Conturbia, Barengo, Bellinzago Novarese, Biandrate, Bogogno, Borgomanero, Borgo Ticino, Briga Novarese, Briona, Caltignaga, Cameri, Carpignano Sesia, Casaleggio Novara, Castellazzo Novarese, Cavaglietto, Cavaglio d’Agogna, Cressa, Cureggio, Fara Novarese, Fontaneto d’Agogna, Galliate, Gattico, Ghemme, Gozzano, Invorio, Landiona, Mandello Vitta, Mezzomerico, Momo, Novara, Oleggio, Oleggio Castello, Paruzzaro, Recetto, Romagnano Sesia, San Nazzaro Sesia, San Pietro Mosezzo, Sillavengo, Sizzano, Suno, Vaprio d’Agogna, Veruno and Vicolungo. Province of Vercelli: only the municipalities of Albano Vercellese, Alice Castello, Arborio, Balocco, Bianzè, Borgo d’Ale, Buronzo, Carisio, Casanova Elvo, San Giacomo Vercellese, Cigliano, Crescentino, Crova, Desana, Fontanetto Po, Formigliana, Gattinara, Ghislarengo, Greggio, Lamporo, Lenta, Livorno Ferraris, Moncrivello, Palazzolo Vercellese, Ronsecco, Rovasenda, Saluggia, San Germano Vercellese, Santhià, Trino, Tronzano Vercellese and Villarboit.

Liguria Region: Province of Savona bordering the municipalities of Altare, Arnasco, Balestrino, Bardineto, Bormida, Cairo Montenotte, Calizzano, Carcare, Casanova Lerrone, Castelbianco, Castelvecchio di Rocca Barbena, Cengio, Cosseria, Dego, Erli, Giusvalla, Magliolo, Mallare, Massimino, Millesimo, Mioglia, Murialdo, Nasino, Onzo, Osiglia, Pallare, Piana Crixia, Plodio, Pontinvrea, Roccavignale, Sassello, Toirano, Urbe, Vendone, Zuccarello. Province of Imperia: only the municipalities of Apricale, Armo, Aquila d’Arroscia, Aurigo, Borghetto d’Arroscia, Borgomaro, Caravonica, Castel Vittorio, Cesio, Chiusanico, Chiusavecchia, Cosio d’Arroscia, Diano Arentino, Diano San Pietro, Isolabona, Lucinasco, Mendatica, Montegrosso Pian Latte, Perinaldo, Pigna, Pieve di Teco, Pontedassio, Pornassio, Ranzo, Rezzo, Triora, Vessalico and Villa Faraldi.

5. Link with the geographical area

5.1. Specificity of the geographical area

The abundance of water and the fertility of the earth provide very favourable conditions in the production area that provide the right environment for the traditional farming of ‘Vitelloni Piemontesi della Coscia’. Ninety per cent of the farmland in the defined geographical area is used for the production of cereals and fodder. In this area the soil and climatic conditions plus the abundance of water for irrigation enable the production, even with high yields per hectare, of feed with excellent nutritional qualities in terms of both energy and protein, well able to meet the high nutritional requirements of ‘Vitelloni Piemontesi della Coscia’, by virtue of the qualities of the product indicated in point 5.2. The fodder and cereal production of the designated geographical area allows the full expression of the genetic potential of the ‘Vitelloni Piemontesi della Coscia’ breed.

Furthermore, the suitability of the production area for fodder and cereal production enables and ensures the close and consolidated integration between the phases of rearing the ‘Vitelloni Piemontesi della Coscia’ suckler-cows, which are given priority access to the grazing and fodder areas, while the cereals produced in the more fertile areas are best for fattening the ‘Vitelloni Piemontesi della Coscia’ prior to slaughter. There is therefore a strong link between the area where the feed is grown and the farming of ‘Vitelloni Piemontesi della Coscia’.

5.2. Specificity of the product

The meat of ‘Vitelloni Piemontesi della Coscia’ comes from carcasses that weigh more than the standard weight, give a higher yield upon slaughter and stripping and by little or very little fat on the carcass. Such cattle differ from other breeds on account of specific anatomical and physiological aspects, by virtue of a natural genetic mutation, discovered in 1886, in Piedmont in the province of Cuneo. The double muscling that sets these cattle apart is due to a specific gene located on chromosome 2, known as the myostatin gene. Thanks to this specific mutation, the action of the gene is no longer able to exercise its regulatory function over myostatin production, which results in extraordinary muscular growth that is particularly visible on the hindquarters of ‘Vitelloni Piemontesi della Coscia’ and that produces the organoleptic qualities that are particularly appreciated by consumers, the extremely low fat content, the high protein content and the colour that varies from pink to bright red. The mutation, which affects muscle development, in particular that of the leg, produces better growth, heavier carcasses and, above all, higher yields at slaughter and stripping. The genetic potential that is determined by this mutation are optimally expressed thanks to feed, managed by the stockbreeders according to tradition established over the years, that is mainly and conveniently based on local forage and cereals.

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)

The character of the coscia, described in point 5.2, as seen in the production area, the subsequent selection of the cattle by the stockbreeders, their solid managerial skills to rear cattle with the characteristics listed in point 3.2, the abundance of water and the fertility of the earth in the designated geographical area, the very name that recalls the race and the land of origin, are all aspects that define the context in which this meat is produced.

The stockbreeding of ‘Vitelloni Piemontesi della Coscia’ is the result of an synergy between the environment, the breed and human expertise which has come into being in a very specific territorial context. Consumers recognise that the meat from ‘Vitelloni Piemontesi della Coscia’, produced in this area from this breed of cattle, is the expression of a quality product and a quality process. These are the reasons for which consumers acknowledge that the market value of the meat of ‘Vitelloni Piemontesi della Coscia’ is infinitely higher than that of other types of product.

The name ‘Vitelloni Piemontesi della Coscia’ enjoys a reputation that dates back to the beginning of the 20th century as illustrated by its use in common parlance and in commerce, in the weekly price listings of the most popular local markets in the geographical area and in scientific research.

Examples of this are:

— the weekly bulletins of the Fossano market, since 1985,

— the annual price bulletins from the Cuneo Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Craft and Farming, since 1984,

— from 1983 to 2008, in the ‘Market and Prices’ Chapter of the farming review ‘L’informatore Agrario’, under the heading ‘cattle’ prices are listed for the breed ‘Vitelloni Piemontesi della Coscia’ on the Cuneo market,

— the official weekly price listing for the Chiavasso wholesale market since 1994.

The term ‘Vitelloni Piemontesi della Coscia’ with regard to meat is also used in scientific publications, as evidenced by the following publications:

— an article published in the international scientific review ‘Meat Science’ (89 (2011) 84-90), with the title ‘Genetic parameters of carcass and meat quality traits of double muscled Piedmontese Cattle’ which mentions the name ‘Vitelloni Piemontesi della Coscia’ in Chapter 2: Material and method, paragraph 2.1, animal, beef samples and data,

— pages 9 and 13 of the publication ‘I bovini piemontesi della “coscia” in rapporto al problema carne.’ by R. Raimondi. — The Georgofili Academy, with photos of the ‘Vitelloni Piemontesi della Coscia’ breed.

All the above shows the importance and the historical tradition of the meat of ‘Vitelloni Piemontesi della Coscia’.

Reference to publication of the specification

(Article 5(7) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006)

The Ministry launched the national objection procedure with the publication of the proposal for the PGI ‘Vitelloni Piemontesi della Coscia’ in Official Gazette of the Italian Republic No 268 of 15 November 2013.

The consolidated text of the product specification is available on the internet: http://www.politicheagricole.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeBLOB.php/L/IT/IDPagina/3335

or alternatively:

by going directly to the homepage of the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policy (www.politicheagricole.it) and clicking on ‘Prodotti DOP e IGP’ (at the top right-hand side of the screen), then on ‘Prodotti DOP, IGP e STG’ (at 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.

(*1) Replaced by Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 November 2012 on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs.