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

(2020/C 46/17)

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 eAmbrosia database.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘MIELE VARESINO’

EU No: PDO-IT-0990-AM01-9.7.2019

PDO (X)PGI ( )

1. Name(s)

‘Miele Varesino’

2. Member State or Third Country

Italy

3. Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1. Type of product

Class 1.4. Other products of animal origin (eggs, honey, various dairy products except butter, etc.)

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

‘Miele Varesino’ is a single-flower acacia (Robinia Pseudoacacia L.) honey.

Physical and chemical characteristics

‘Miele Varesino’ must have the following chemical and physical characteristics in its various forms: the HMF (hydroxymethylfurfural) content (when the product is put on sale) must be less than 15 mg/kg and the water content must not exceed 17,5 %.

Organoleptic characteristics

‘Miele Varesino’ has the following organoleptic characteristics:

Colour: transparent, from almost colourless to straw yellow;

Aroma: typical of honey, light and delicate, without any predominating scent;

Taste: very sweet and delicate with a note of vanilla;

Physical state: generally liquid, rarely crystallises (and then only after a considerable length of time).

Pollen characteristics

‘Miele Varesino’ is produced by bees from the nectar of Robinia pseudoacacia (false acacia) flowers. Robinia pseudoacacia pollen can be identified via qualitative melissopalynological analysis.

The Robinia pseudoacacia pollen content in ‘Miele Varesino’ must account for over 25 % of the pollen from nectariferous plants, calculated by excluding pollen from non-nectariferous species and any contaminating pollen.

PK/10g must be below 20 000 (average 9 500).

The types of pollen typically found together with Robinia pseudoacacia are: Non-nectariferous species: Trachycarpus fortunei, Ilex aquifolium, Graminaceae, Fraxinus, Quercus robur, Rumex, Sambucus nigra, Chelidonium, Luzula, Actinidia and Pinaceae. Nectariferous species: Acer, Prunus f., Salix, Trifolium repens and Castanea sativa (always present in the pollen spectrum), Aesculus, Gleditsia and Liriodendron.

‘Miele Varesino’ must not contain the following types of pollen: Loranthus europaeus, Hedysarum coronarium or Onobrychis.

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

It is absolutely forbidden to use pollen that is not strictly local in origin for the bees’ protein nutrition.

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

All steps in production, including the collection of nectar by the bees in the fields and the extraction and preparation of the honey for consumption, must take place in the province of Varese.

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

Honey is a living product that is greatly affected by environmental conditions. The ripening/extraction of the honey and the packaging should therefore take place in the production area and the honey should not be transported until it has been packaged so as not to adversely affect its quality, freshness and shelf-life.

‘Miele Varesino’ is packaged in glass jars with metal lids. A seal bearing the product logo is affixed to the lid.

Packaging the honey in single-portion sachets, tubs or miniature jars made out of a suitable material is also permitted; the labelling on such packaging must bear the information required by the legislation currently in force.

Solely in the case of ‘Miele Varesino’ not intended for the final consumer, all the packaging materials provided for by the legislation in force may be used.

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

The labelling must include:

— the name ‘Miele Varesino’;

— the acronym ‘DOP’ [PDO], or ‘Denominazione di Origine Protetta’ [Protected Designation of Origin] written out in full;

— the EU symbol;

— the product identification logo;

The ‘Miele Varesino’ logo, shown below, consists of a central design on a white background featuring three orange hexagons with a stylized five-petal ‘bee flower’. To the right there are three blue mountains above six blue lines of decreasing thickness representing a lake. This central design is encircled by a band of yellow, printed with the words ‘Miele Varesino D.O.P.’ [‘Miele Varesino’ PDO] and ‘di acacia’ [acacia] in dark blue. An orange border completes the logo.

4. Concise definition of the geographical area

The geographical area reaches into the foothills of the Alps, between the Ticino and Olona rivers and the Maggiore and Lugano lakes. It coincides with the territory of the province of Varese.

5. Link with the geographical area

The geographical area enjoys a mild continental climate with low fluctuations in temperature during both summer and winter due to the moderating effect of the lakes. These conditions, which are typical of the area, provide a suitable environment for trees, including exotic species.

The lakes make the climate milder and spring comes earlier here than in Milan and its surrounding area; this renders multiple and long-lasting flowerings possible on the gentle, sun-bathed hills.

In Varese, Robinia (Robinia pseudoacacia L.), the predominant melliferous species, grows widely and densely such that it has taken over marginal farmland areas and in many places it is the main species of tree growing in the woods.

During its flowering season, Robinia pseudoacacia L. blooms more abundantly than any other nectariferous species in the area. In most parts of the province of Varese the flowering of Robinia pseudoacacia is staggered and lasts for a considerable time thanks to the valleys that extend southwards, such as the Ticino and Olona, and to the sun-bathed hillsides that are protected from the wind.

The vegetation characterising the province of Varese is thus the result of the interaction between topography, climate and soil, plus the influence of human intervention.

Between the 17th and the 20th centuries, many villas were built in the area and their extensive grounds were embellished with exotic ornamental plants. Over time, thanks to the favourable climate, these species have become so widespread that they are considered invasive in parks and gardens and in the local undergrowth.

Beekeeping has always been widespread in the province of Varese, principally among farmers, members of the various ecclesiastical orders established in the area and members of the bourgeoisie with a passion for scientific research.

At the beginning of the last century, the dramatic growth and spread of Robinia pseudoacacia L. in woodland areas, due to the favourable environmental conditions, led local beekeepers to specialise increasingly in the production of acacia honey which, on account of its particular organoleptic and physical characteristics, stood out from other honeys produced in the area up to that point.

Since then, local beekeepers have achieved a high degree of specialisation in producing honey, in particular acacia honey, which became the most-produced honey in the province of Varese.

Professional beekeeping developed gradually in this province as beekeepers began experimenting with new types of hive and production methods.

The modernisation of production methods happened with the changeover from traditional to rational beekeeping, as the traditional braided-straw bee skeps were replaced with rational beehives and honey extractors, which made it possible to produce single-flower honey and to extract the honey from the honeycomb in the removable frames without destroying the comb.

Lastly, a continuous selection of bee breeds that were more productive and more resistant to disease also contributed to further improving both the quality and the quantity of the honey produced by the province’s beekeepers.

‘Miele Varesino’ is a single flower acacia honey with a high level of purity with regard to the origin of the nectar, characterised by the presence of Robinia nectar and pollen, with some pollen from ornamental plants.

The sediment of this honey contains pollen from both nectariferous and non-nectariferous species as specified in point 3.2.

The honey is very runny, with a light colour varying from transparent to light straw yellow, a light and delicate aroma without any predominating scent, and a very sweet taste. Its fragrance is delicate and sweet with a note of vanilla.

Another specific feature of ‘Miele Varesino’ is the absence of sainfoin (Onobrychis), French honeysuckle (Hedysarum coronarium), and, in particular, Loranthus (Loranthus europaeus) pollen, as evidenced by research by authoritative botanists who consider this species to be absent from the area where the honey is produced.

Interest in beekeeping and the successful production of ‘Miele Varesino’ has developed over the past 150 years or more thanks to the long-lasting, abundant and successive Robinia pseudoacacia L. flowerings in this geographical area. The extensive presence of Robinia pseudoacacia L. in the woods of Varese has contributed to the development and evolution of local beekeeping, in terms of improved production, rearing and breed selection techniques.

Indeed, over the years ever more beekeepers have adopted beekeeping as their main profession or as a hobby or semi-professional activity, as evidenced by the steady increase in the number of beehives in the Varese woods during the Robinia pseudoacacia flowering season. This increase can be attributed to the fact that, unlike in other areas where acacia honey is produced, in the Varese area there are no crops or wild plants whose flowering adversely affects the quality of the product, thus resulting in a purer acacia honey of the highest standard.

Furthermore, the geographical area’s specific features, including its climatic and environmental characteristics, make it possible to produce an acacia honey that can be distinguished from other types of honey. The ornamental species traditionally planted to embellish the area’s gardens and parks distinguish ‘Miele Varesino’ from other Lombardy acacia honeys, as it contains pollen from ornamental exotic species that are well adapted to the local environment. The presence of pollen from such species helps determine the organoleptic characteristics of ‘Miele Varesino’, not least the aroma, which is influenced by the presence of evergreens (Ilex aquifolium, Trachycarpus fortunei).

Publication reference of the specification

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

The full text of the product specification can be found at: http://www.politicheagricole.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeBLOB.php/L/IT/IDPagina/3335

or alternatively:

by going directly to the home page of the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policy (www.politicheagricole.it) and 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 179, 19.6.2014, p. 17.