EN Official Journal of the European Union C 155/13

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

2013/C 155/05

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 (2)

‘FOCACCIA DI RECCO COL FORMAGGIO’

EC No: IT-PGI-0005-0944-31.01.2012

PGI ( X ) PDO ( )

1. Name

‘Focaccia di Recco col formaggio’

2. Member State or third country

Italy

3. Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1. Type of product

Class 2.4. Bread, pastry, cakes, confectionery, biscuits and other baker’s wares

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

‘Focaccia di Recco col formaggio’ is an oven-baked product made by blending extra virgin olive oil, salt and water into common wheat flour dough, which is then filled with soft fresh cheese.

When released for consumption, ‘Focaccia di Recco col formaggio’ has the following characteristics:

shape: circular, square or rectangular;

measurements: — circular shape: minimum diameter 25 cm, — square shape: each side between 25 cm and 120 cm long, — rectangular shape: 120 cm maximum for the longer sides; 25 cm minimum for the shorter sides, — height: less than 1 cm, measured on the sides;

appearance: — surface: uneven, with bubbles, — upper part: golden colour with dark brown patches or streaks, — lower part: amber yellow, not white, — filling: melted cheese with a creamy texture, — texture when touched: crumbly upper part and soft inside.

It is fragrant and crunchy to the palate, the dough is lightly salted and smells both of freshly cooked bread and of milk and fresh cheese, and the cheese is soft with a pleasant hint of bitterness.

3.3. Raw materials (for processed products only)

The following ingredients are used in the production of ‘Focaccia di Recco col formaggio’:

— type ‘00’ common wheat flour with the following characteristics: W: > 300; P/L: not less than 0,5 or, alternatively, type ‘00’ Manitoba flour,

— natural water,

— extra virgin olive oil,

— fine salt,

— soft fresh cheese.

The cheese used to produce ‘Focaccia di Recco col formaggio’ is made from fresh pasteurised cow's milk.

There are no geographical restrictions on the place where the milk is processed.

The cheese used to fill ‘Focaccia di Recco col formaggio’ must have a creamy texture without any added cream and must be resistant to heat stress when cooked without forming threads, bubbles or whey.

The cheese used to prepare ‘Focaccia di Recco col formaggio’ must have the following characteristics:

Characteristic Parameter Shape Parallelepiped with smoothed sides Measurements Base with sides measuring 15-20 cm and 8-10 cm respectively; in terms of height, a straight heel with flat faces measuring 4-5 cm Weight Between 0,7 kg and 2 kg Characteristics of the dough Tender yet slightly firm, consistent milky texture without any holes Colour White, with glossy undertones Moisture content (on a wet basis) 57-60 % Proteins (on a wet basis) 13-15 % Fat (on a wet basis) 21-24 % Fat content (of dry matter) 48-60 %

3.4. Feed (for products of animal origin only)

—

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

All of the steps involved in the production of ‘Focaccia di Recco col formaggio’, from the preparation and kneading of the dough to garnishing and cooking, must take place in the geographical area described in point 4 below.

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

‘Focaccia di Recco col formaggio’ can be marketed whole or in portions.

Pre-cooking, deep-freezing, freezing and other preservation techniques are forbidden.

3.7. Specific rules concerning labelling

The product can be identified by means of a label made from a starch wafer attached to the top layer of pastry. The label must bear the name of the product, ‘Focaccia di Recco col formaggio’ next to the words ‘Protected Geographical Indication’, written out in full and as an acronym (PGI).

4. Concise definition of the geographical area

The production area of ‘Focaccia di Recco col formaggio’ is made up of the entire territory of the municipality of Recco and of the neighbouring municipalities of Avegno, Sori and Camogli.

5. Link with the geographical area

5.1. Specificity of the geographical area

The municipalities located in the production area of ‘Focaccia di Recco col formaggio’ are part of what local historians call the ‘Recco valley’, a zone stretching from Mount Portofino in the east (municipality of Camogli) to the small town of Sori in the west, including the municipality of Recco, and the municipality of Avegno in the north.

Craftsmen bakers from Recco migrated to those areas and started making ‘Focaccia di Recco col formaggio’ in the 1960s and 1970s following the Recco tradition.

The tradition requires the bakers to be highly skilled in preparing the dough. The dough is first stretched and then kneaded manually until two separate, very thin and almost transparent sheets are obtained. This special way of preparing the dough into two fine sheets is a particularity of the geographical area.

5.2. Specificity of the product

‘Focaccia di Recco col formaggio’ is made up of two very thin sheets which are filled with cheese. It is easy to distinguish it visually from typical focaccias of the Italian and Ligurian traditions as it is extremely fine and filled with a layer of melted cheese. Another characterising feature of ‘Focaccia di Recco col formaggio’ is the soft cheese inside which has a creamy texture and a pleasant hint of bitterness.

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)

Historical events which for many years have been dedicated to ‘Focaccia di Recco col formaggio’ bear witness to its reputation, as do major reviews published in magazines and Italian and foreign food guides, which in their description of the product refer to the fine pastry and pleasant taste of the cheese that characterise it.

One of the most important events is the ‘Festa della focaccia’ during the last week of May, which since 1955 offers the best opportunity to celebrate and taste ‘Focaccia di Recco col formaggio’.

The reputation of ‘Focaccia di Recco col formaggio’ has grown exponentially thanks to its presence at major national events such as the ‘Salone del Gusto’ in Turin, the ‘Cheese’ event in Brà, the ‘Artigiano in Fiera’ in Milan and the ‘Salone Nautico’ in Genoa.

From the early 1960s, thanks to the economic boom in Italy and the growth of tourism in the area, the reputation of and demand for ‘Focaccia di Recco col formaggio’ progressively increased, as shown by several articles on the product published in daily newspapers and magazines at the time. The product was also brought to the attention of American gourmets in 1967 in the ‘Daily American’, where it was described as ‘quite divine’.

The first Italian food guides are another example of how ‘Focaccia di Recco col formaggio’ became a typical and well-known product (‘Guide Veronelli all'Italia piacevole’, published by Garzanti, Milan, 1968 and ‘Guida gastronomica d'Italia’, published by TCI, Milan, 1969).

Since then, and to the present day, practically all local and regional food guides, all food-and-wine guides and several magazines related to the sector refer to ‘Focaccia di Recco col formaggio’ as an authentic local speciality.

Reference to publication of the specification

(Article 5(7) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 (3))

The Ministry launched the national objection procedure with the publication of the proposal for recognising ‘Focaccia di Recco col formaggio’ PGI in Gazzetta ufficiale della Repubblica italiana No 181 of 5 August 2011.

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

by going directly to the home page of the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policy (http://www.politicheagricole.it) and clicking on ‘Qualità e sicurezza’ (in the top right-hand corner of the screen) and then on ‘Disciplinari di produzione all’esame dell’UE’.

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

(2) OJ L 93, 31.3.2006, p. 12. Replaced by Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.

(3) See footnote 2.