EN Official Journal of the European Union C 97/13

Publication of an amendment 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

(2018/C 97/07)

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).

APPLICATION FOR APPROVAL OF NON-MINOR AMENDMENTS TO THE PRODUCT SPECIFICATION FOR A PROTECTED DESIGNATION OF ORIGIN OR PROTECTED GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATION

Application for approval of amendments in accordance with the first subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012

‘BOUDIN BLANC DE RETHEL’

EU No: PGI-FR-02295 — 24.2.2017

PDO ( ) PGI ( X )

1. Applicant group and legitimate interest

Name: Les Charcutiers du Pays d'Ardennes Address: Au Pays rethélois 3 quai d'Orfeuil 08300 Rethel FRANCE Email: charcuteries.ardennes@gmail.com

Composition: The group consists of producers of ‘Boudin blanc de Rethel’. It therefore has a legitimate right to propose the amendments.

2. Member State or Third Country

France

3. Heading in the product specification affected by the amendment(s)

— ☐ Product name — ☒ Description of product — ☐ Geographical area — ☒ Proof of origin — ☒ Method of production — ☐ Link — ☒ Labelling — ☒ Other: updated contact details, geographical area, causal link, inspection bodies, national requirements

4. Type of amendment(s)

— ☒ Amendments to the product specification of a registered PDO or PGI not to be qualified as minor within the meaning of the third subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 — ☐ Amendments to the product specification of a registered PDO or PGI for which a Single Document (or equivalent) has not been published and which cannot be qualified as minor within the meaning of the third subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012

5. Amendment(s)

5.1. Heading ‘Product description’

The paragraph on siting the production of ‘Boudin blanc de Rethel’ in the vicinity of Rethel and the existence of ‘boudin blanc à l'oignon’ (white pudding with onion) in the north of the department has been deleted. Information on the ancestral recipe relating to the method of production and to the link to the origin rather than to the description of the product has also been deleted. Those paragraphs do not relate to the description of the product.

The physical characteristics of the product have been replaced by:

‘“Boudin blanc de Rethel” is presented in cylindrical portions of 60 to 130 grams and 30 to 36 mm in diameter. It is stuffed into pig casings. “Boudin blanc de Rethel” may also be presented in cocktail and barbecue format, with a diameter ranging between 20 and 26 mm. In that case it is stuffed into sheep casings: Cocktail or mini: the weight ranges between 8 g and 15 g. Barbecue: the weight ranges between 50 g and 80 g. It is light — close to white — and uniform in colour. The tension of the casing holds the product together and gives it an overall smooth appearance. The natural casing may occasionally have small imperfections, such as reddish veins (a colour that remains after slaughter) or small filaments called “barbes” (“beards”) from the remaining caul.’

These provisions differ as follows from the current specification:

The current specification refers to ‘boudin blanc’ (‘white pudding’) and the small formats. For boudin blanc, the minimum weight of the cylindrical portions, ‘100 to 130 grams’, has been replaced by a minimum weight of ‘60 to 130 grams’ and the diameter, ‘32 to 34 mm’, is now ‘30 to 36 mm’.

By changing the sizes, it will be possible to respond to developments in the market for this product. Both restaurateurs, who serve the product as a starter, and consumers demand smaller portions. Besides, the diameter of the boudins is adjusted so that it corresponds to the categories of pig casings available from suppliers.

The small formats referred to in the current specification have been described. They are the ‘cocktail or mini’ boudin blanc and the ‘barbecue’ boudin blanc. The weight of these two types of portions is different: 8 to 15 grams for the ‘cocktail or mini’ product and 50 to 80 grams for the ‘barbecue’ product. The diameter remains the same. These are necessary clarifications to define the different formats of ‘Boudin blanc de Rethel’ offered for sale.

The reference to the colour, ‘light and uniform’, has been replaced by ‘close to white’. That expression is more precise.

The adjective ‘highly satisfactory’ describing the tension of the casing has been deleted, as it is not objective. The tension of the casing has been described in terms of the expected result: it holds the product together and gives it an overall smooth appearance.

It has also been added that ‘The natural casing may occasionally have small imperfections, such as reddish veins (a colour that remains after slaughter) or small filaments called “barbes” (“beards”) from the remaining caul’. The occasional small imperfections are inevitably linked to the use of natural casings.

The organoleptic characteristics have been replaced by:

‘This boudin has a soft and juicy paste, rather cohesive, with a typical meaty flavour accompanied by a discreet peppery and spicy note. The graininess of the paste can be felt in the mouth.’.

Subjective adjectives that are not specific to ‘Boudin blanc de Rethel’ (‘a proper elasticity and firmness’, ‘moderately salty with little sweetness’, ‘very appetising’, etc.) have been deleted. The size of the grains, ‘fine to medium’, has been replaced by a sentence indicating that the graininess of the paste can be felt in the mouth. It can be difficult to distinguish the size of the grains in the final product. In addition, this concerns a parameter related to the method of production.

The authorised varieties referred to in the current specification have been clarified:

— ‘nature’ (‘natural’) is unchanged,

— ‘aux champignons ou à une seule variété de champignon’ (‘with mushrooms or a single variety of mushroom’) instead of ‘aux champignons’ (‘with mushrooms’),

— ‘“forestier” (forest-style), this variety is distinguished from the previous one by the exclusive presence of woodland mushrooms’, instead of ‘forestier’ only,

— ‘“truffé” (“with truffles”) (the only truffle varieties authorised are Tuber melanosporum and Tuber brumale). The addition of truffle juice is authorised.’ instead of ‘truffé ou au jus de truffe’ (‘with truffles or truffle juice’).

These clarifications aim at defining the different varieties in order to provide better information to the consumer and facilitate checks. The reference to compliance with the legislation in force has been deleted, since it is implicit.

— The chemical characteristics of the PGI ‘Boudin blanc de Rethel’‘nature’ have been defined. It is not necessary to specify that they concern the basic mix for the different varieties of the product, because the recipe of the mix is the same for the natural and other varieties. The references to the criteria in the Code des usages de la charcuterie (French Code of Practice for Prepared Meats) have been deleted, since they are only mentioned for the sake of comparison. In addition, the protide content, expressed as a percentage, has gone from ‘≤ 11’ to ‘≥ 11’. This is meant to correct a drafting error. Protides are a family of macronutrients, which include amino acids, peptides and proteins. Charcuterie products always contain proteins, and therefore they have a protide content of 11 % or more.

— The microbiological characteristics have been deleted, since they are covered by the legislation in force.

— The manner of presenting the product is limited to ‘in bulk’ and ‘in pre-packaged retail sale units’. The marketing outlets for the product, ‘traditional shop counters’ and ‘self-service counters’, have been deleted, since they do not describe the presentation of ‘Boudin blanc de Rethel’.

5.2. Heading ‘Evidence that the product originates from the geographical area’

A paragraph on identifying the operators carrying out their activity in the production conditions of ‘Boudin blanc de Rethel’ has been added. The paragraph states that the identification must take place before starting the activity in question.

Declarations necessary for recognition, monitoring and inspection of the products to be marketed with the protected geographical indication have been provided for. A summary table has been inserted into the specification.

These provisions aim at specifying the procedure making it possible to guarantee the traceability of the products.

5.3. Heading ‘Description of the method of production’

Raw materials

The current specification lists the ingredients used in the production of ‘Boudin blanc de Rethel’. The list of ingredients has not changed.

The proportions of the different ingredients used (by weight of the mix) have been added: pork ‘55 to 68 %’, whole eggs ‘10 to 20 %’, milk ‘20 to 30 %’ and seasoning ‘less than 5 %’. Although these proportions have not been described previously, they are those commonly applied by the operators to obtain a mix fulfilling the organoleptic criteria of the PGI ‘Boudin blanc de Rethel’.

The authorised form(s) for each type of ingredient has/have been specified as follows:

For the pork: sow meat is excluded owing to its overly pronounced taste. The words ‘adequately trimmed’ for the meat and ‘belly without the teats’ for the belly have been moved to a paragraph on the trimming of the meats.

For the whole eggs: the provision on ‘fresh whole eggs’ has been replaced with a provision containing more information on the properties of the eggs used, i.e. ‘The eggs are whole chicken eggs (whites and yolks). They take the form of shell eggs or pasteurised egg products. Powdered, frozen and enriched eggs are prohibited’. In other words, only pasteurised egg products and shell eggs are authorised. Other forms of eggs do not have the desired binding qualities. The term ‘fresh’, which in the current specification refers to the eggs, has been deleted, because it does not add any information on the quality of the product.

For the milk: it has been specified that the milk consists solely of cows' milk in line with common practice and in order not to give any tastes to the final product.

The milk used may be whole, semi-skimmed, skimmed, raw, pasteurised or sterilised. Raw milk must be heated to boiling point. It has been specified that the seasoning ‘may not cover up the typical pork taste of “Boudin blanc de Rethel” or change the light colour of the paste’.

Flavourings maybe be used in the milk (when boiling it) or in the cooking water.

The phrase ‘It is strictly forbidden to add starch products, food colouring or phosphates.’ has been deleted. The specification sets out a positive list of ingredients.

Since that list may be subject to interpretation as regards certain categories of ingredients, a list of prohibited ingredients and additives has been added in order to control the quality of the product and its characteristics as well as possible.

Those amendments to the specification reflect ‘Boudin blanc de Rethel’ producers' practices, which are the basis of the recipe. They do not call into question the description of the product or the link with the geographical area. On the contrary, they make it possible to consolidate the description of the recipe and facilitate checks.

A paragraph listing the other ingredients (mushrooms, truffles, truffle juice) has been added in order to include all varieties of ‘Boudin blanc de Rethel’ (‘champignons’, ‘forestier’, ‘truffé’). The maximum share of these other ingredients for the different varieties has been set at 20 % of the weight of the mixture.

A paragraph has been added providing for the use of ‘Natural pig's casings for the 60-130 g formats’ and ‘Natural sheep's casings for the cocktail or mini (8-15 g) and barbecue (50-80 g) formats’. This distinction is justified by the diameters of the different ‘Boudin blanc de Rethel’ formats.

Production

The current specification lists the main production steps (preparation of the meat, mixing, encasing of the mix, cooking and cooling) without any other details and contains a diagram summarising the different production phases.

The diagram has been deleted and the steps explained in more detail. They are the following:

— Trimming of the meats

The trimming consists in removing the sinews from the meat and trimming it ‘so as to rid it of nerves, ganglia, teats and abscesses before being minced’.

— Measuring out the ingredients

The recipe sheet prepared by the pork butcher sets out the proportions of the different ingredients in order to safeguard the characteristics of the final product. For each production operation, the operator weighs the ingredients.

— Re-use

A common practice in the charcuterie sector (cooked products) when preparing the mix is to re-introduce products from another production operation that could not be used for the PGI solely for reasons pertaining to appearance (breakage, tears, non-compliant size or weight, etc.). In the case of ‘Boudin blanc de Rethel’, only products intended for the production of the PGI may be re-used in this manner. In order to prevent this practice from affecting the characteristics of the final product, in particular the cohesiveness of the paste, the share of such products is limited to not more than 10 % of the weight of the mix at the time of use. This re-use does not affect the composition of the mix, since the composition of the re-used products is the same.

The specification lays down the conditions for the re-use: the products subject to this practice must be traced, kept at a temperature between 0 and 4 °C and used not later than 4 days after the cooking date of the batch from which they are issued. This practice has been added to the specification, and it reflects operators' practices in the sector. The purpose of this addition is to codify practices.

— Mincing — Mixing

A paragraph laying down the mincing and mixing conditions has been added: ‘The fresh pork meat is pre-minced with a cutter or a mincer. Once the graininess of the mix is similar to that of sausage meat, the eggs, milk and seasoning are added gradually while continuing to knead the mix. The preparation is processed with a type of “mixer” to obtain a non-emulsified homogenous final mix that has grains visible to the naked eye.’.

Mincing is an indispensable step in making a charcuterie product. As this is not mentioned in the specification, it should be added, keeping in mind existing specificities and practices. Mincing is done using a mincer or a cutter; the mix is not emulsified. As a cutter is used to make the paste, the ingredients are very finely minced. Unlike in sausage meat, the grains are fine and visible to the naked eye.

— Stuffing of the casing

This paragraph indicates the following: ‘The mix is stuffed into natural casings. The operator adjusts the stuffing operation so as to obtain a well-stretched casing.’.

It describes the objective of the stuffing operation, which is to obtain a well-stretched casing, and refers to the operator's know-how. This operation needs to be mastered perfectly to produce a well-stretched casing. If the casing is stuffed with too much force, the fragile natural casing will burst. If the casing is not stuffed firmly enough, the casing will not be stretched and the paste will lack the desired texture.

— Cooking

The phrase ‘Cooking by immersion in boiling water’ has been replaced by ‘The boudins are cooked either by immersion or steamed’.

The reference to boiling water, which is taken to mean 100 °C water, is poorly adapted to the actual process, in that cooking water that is too hot causes the boudins to burst. The boudins are cooked by raising the temperature of the paste to the desired level (72 °C at the core of the boudin), which gives them their specific characteristics and an appearance that meets the requirements for the PGI ‘Boudin blanc de Rethel’. Cooking by immersion in water that is close to boiling point or by steaming makes it possible to obtain a boudin that has the characteristics of the PGI. Steaming also enables an even and regular cooking process.

— Cooling

The provision ‘cooling in a cooling unit or by rinsing it under ice-cold drinking water’ has been replaced by cooling:

‘— either in a rapid cooling unit,

— or by showering or immersion,

— or by combining these two methods.

The cooling must lower the core temperature to 10 °C or less within not more than 2 hours.

If the product is cooled by immersion alone, it must be dried for at least 2 hours before packaging.’.

The purpose of adding these clarifications is to preserve the organoleptic and sanitary qualities of ‘Boudin blanc de Rethel’, which require rapid cooling, thereby making it necessary to set a maximum cooling period of two hours.

Owing to the extended contact with water, products cooled by immersion must be dried for at least 2 hours before packaging.

These amendments codify the usual practices of ‘Boudin blanc de Rethel’ producers and ensure the preservation of the product's physical and organoleptic characteristics.

5.4. Heading ‘Labelling’

The labelling obligations laid down in the current specification have been deleted. There is only labelling information for the different varieties of ‘Boudin blanc de Rethel’.

The purpose of some of the obligations, at the time of registration, was to facilitate checks (affixing of the name and contact details of the certifying body, reference to the possibility for consumers to write to the certifying body in case of non-compliance, advance approval of the labels). They also relate to the description of the product (‘derived from pork’, ‘with no added starches or breadcrumbs’) or the geographical area.

These provisions are not justified, because they are covered by the general legislation.

5.5. Heading ‘Other’

— Competent authority of the Member State: the contact details of the National Institute for Quality and Origin (INAO), which is the competent authority of the Member State, have been added in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.

— The group now in charge of the PGI and making the amendment application is the association Les Charcuteries du Pays d'Ardennes. The information relating to the group Ardennes de France, which originated the request for registration, has therefore been deleted and replaced by the name and contact details of the group Les Charcuteries du Pays d'Ardennes.

— Geographical area: the geographical area has not changed. The list of cantons has been replaced by the list of corresponding municipalities. A list of mandatory operations to be carried out in the geographical area has been inserted: receipt of the raw materials and processing. These are editorial changes.

— Causal link: this chapter has been divided into three parts to better define the specific characteristics of the geographical area and product as well as the causal link. The amendments are textual and do not entail any substantive changes.

— Inspection bodies: the contact details of the inspection body have been replaced by those of the relevant control authority. This amendment aims to prevent changes being made to the specification in the event that the inspection body changes.

— National requirements: the main points to be checked and the evaluation method to be used have been added to the specification, in the national requirements.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘BOUDIN BLANC DE RETHEL’

EU No: PGI-FR-02295 — 24.2.2017

PDO ( ) PGI ( X )

1. Name(s)

‘Boudin blanc de Rethel’

2. Member State or Third Country

France

3. Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1. Type of product

Class 1.2. Meat products (cooked, salted, smoked, etc.)

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

‘Boudin blanc de Rethel’ is presented in cylindrical portions of 60 to 130 grams and 30 to 36 mm in diameter. Portions of this size are stuffed into pig casings.

‘Boudin blanc de Rethel’ may also be presented in cocktail and barbecue format, with a diameter ranging between 20 and 26 mm. The cocktail and mini formats (8-15 g) and barbecue formats (50-80 g) are stuffed into sheep casings.

It is light — close to white — and uniform in colour. The tension of the casing holds the product together and gives it an overall smooth appearance. The natural casing may occasionally have small imperfections, such as reddish veins (a colour that remains after slaughter) or small filaments called ‘barbes’ (‘beards’) from the remaining caul.

‘Boudin blanc de Rethel’ has a soft and juicy paste, rather cohesive, with a typical meaty flavour accompanied by a discreet peppery and spicy note. The graininess of the paste can be felt in the mouth.

The varieties of ‘Boudin blanc de Rethel’ are ‘nature’, ‘aux champignons ou à une seule variété de champignon’, ‘forestier’ (in which case only woodland mushrooms have been used), ‘truffé’ (the only truffle varieties authorised are Tuber melanosporum or Tuber brumale). The addition of truffle juice is authorised.

The chemical criteria for the ‘nature’ variety are as follows:

— Lipids: < 30 %

— Moisture content of the fat-free and starch-free product: ≤ 81 %

— Starch: ≤ 0,4 %

— Collagen: ≤ 2 %

— Protides: ≥ 11 %

‘Boudin blanc de Rethel’ is sold in bulk or pre-packaged in retail sale units.

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

‘Boudin blanc de Rethel’ is made from fresh pork meat, hard pork fat, whole eggs and cows' milk.

The pork meat comes from the following anatomical parts: ham without shank, shoulder without shank, belly and hard fat. Sow meat is excluded. The use of trimmings from cutting is prohibited. The sinews are removed from the meat and it is trimmed so as to rid it of nerves, ganglia, teats and abscesses before being minced. The meat makes up 55 to 68 % of the weight of the mix used.

The eggs are whole chicken eggs (whites and yolks) in the shell or in the form of pasteurised egg products. Powdered, frozen and enriched eggs are prohibited. The eggs make up 10 to 20 % of the weight of the mix used.

The cows' milk may be whole, partly skimmed or skimmed in order to control the lipid content of the final product. It is pasteurised, sterilised or raw (provided that it is boiled before being used in the mix). Reconstituted milk is prohibited. The milk makes up 20 to 30 % of the weight of the mix used.

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

The steps carried out in the geographical area range from the receipt of the raw materials to the cooling of the boudin.

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

If ‘Boudin blanc de Rethel’ is described as ‘truffé’ or ‘à la truffe’, ‘aux champignons’ or by specifying the mushroom variety when a single variety is used, or ‘forestier’, the words must appear in the same field of vision and be written in characters the dimensions of which are greater than or equal to half those of the designation ‘Boudin blanc de Rethel’ and smaller than those of the designation.

4. Concise definition of the geographical area

The geographical area comprises the following cantons:

Château-Porcien, Chaumont-Porcien, Novion-Porcien, Juniville, Asfeld and Rethel.

5. Link with the geographical area

Specificity of the geographical area

The geographical area consists of the arrondissement of Rethel, which is the municipality where the recipe and related know-how have been developed and which gives its name to ‘Boudin blanc de Rethel’. The toponymy testifies to strong pig production and processing activities in the past. The geographical area has three important municipalities with ‘Porcien’ in their name (Château-Porcien, Novion-Porcien, Chaumont-Porcien), a reference to the ancient gallo-roman concept of pagus porciensis, which means ‘pig country’.

The origin of ‘Boudin blanc de Rethel’ dates back to the 17th century. In those days, an officer from the King's army sought refuge in Rethel after having fought a duel against the orders of Cardinal Richelieu. That officer, who was called Chamarande, went on to open a pork butchery in a small shop in the village of Liesse, which belonged to Rethel at the time.

One of his grandsons, who died in 1848, perfected the recipe for ‘boudin blanc’ in the mid-19th century. Five of his sons became pork butchers themselves and settled down in different parts of the town of Rethel, thereby upholding the family know-how. In 1901 the directory for Rethel and its arrondissement listed eight pork butchers, four of whom bore the name Chamarande.

Nowadays ‘Boudin blanc de Rethel’ continues to be made according to that ancient recipe. Pork butchers possess a know-how transmitted by their parents or by other pork butchers during their apprenticeship.

Thanks to technical progress, production conditions have improved greatly since the 17th century. Today producers use mincer-mixer-type modern equipment when preparing their product.

Specificity of the product

Since its creation, ‘Boudin blanc de Rethel’ has acquired a solid reputation based principally on its sensory properties.

By following the ancestral recipe, typical, delicate organoleptic qualities are conferred on ‘Boudin blanc de Rethel’.

It is light — close to white — and uniform in colour. It is distinguished from other products in the same category by its typical pork meat flavour accompanied by a discreet peppery and spicy note. In the mouth, its paste is soft, rather cohesive and juicy, and it releases an average amount of fat.

‘Boudin blanc de Rethel’ also comes in the ‘aux champignons’ and ‘truffé’ varieties. The mix is the same, but additional ingredients are added to those variants in the final stages of preparation.

Causal link

The link with the geographical area of ‘Boudin blanc de Rethel’ is based on its specific quality and reputation.

Established in a pig-rearing region, as indicated by the toponymy of the municipalities, ‘Boudin blanc de Rethel’ owes its characteristics to the close application of the original recipe, in particular to the exclusive use of fresh pork meat, whole eggs and milk and the absence of starch products, food colouring and phosphates. The production process harnesses the local pork butchers' know-how in obtaining a product with a well-appreciated and -recognised texture and taste.

Finalised in the middle of the 18th century, the recipe for ‘Boudin blanc de Rethel’ rapidly started being widely used by pork butchers in Rethel.

The local pork butchers have been able to preserve this particular know-how and adapt it to technical progress while at the same time managing the production process. Mastery of the process of mincing the product and stuffing it into natural casings gives ‘Boudin blanc de Rethel’ its characteristic texture.

In order to obtain a ‘Boudin blanc de Rethel’ that is close to the original, the pork butchers make sure to use raw materials with excellent quality characteristics, in particular for the pork meat (using the belly, shoulder or ham — the meat must not have been frozen), milk (unreconstituted) and whole eggs (powdered eggs and frozen eggs are prohibited).

The protein-based binders (eggs and fresh meat) are in themselves sufficient to obtain a cohesive and soft texture. No starches or breadcrumbs are added when making ‘Boudin blanc de Rethel’. The proteins in the egg whites are albumins that coagulate at a low temperature (+ 60 to +65 °C) and form a gel that locks within itself the components of the product in which it is contained. It is this very features that gives ‘Boudin blanc de Rethel’ its light colour. The coagulation also makes it possible to obtain a firm filling.

The product has gained a strong reputation over the years, as demonstrated by its participation in fairs and exhibitions (Salon international de l'agriculture de Paris, ‘Les Ardennes à Paris’, ‘Lille, couleur Ardennes’ in 2009, etc.) and the publication of a book dedicated to it in 2006, Le Boudin blanc, une spécialité de Rethel (Sandra Rota, Les Éditions du Coq à l'âne).

The reputation and image of ‘Boudin blanc de Rethel’ grew as access was gained to increasingly extensive distribution networks, first in the region in the 1990s, then later throughout France.

Reference to publication of the specification

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

https://extranet.inao.gouv.fr/fichier/CDCIGPBBRModif2016-Propre-QCOMUE-20171011.pdf

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