Publication of an application for approval of an amendment, which is not minor, to a product specification 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

(2020/C 150/07)

This publication confers the right to oppose the amendment application pursuant to Article 51 of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council (1) within three months from the date of this publication.

APPLICATION FOR APPROVAL OF AN AMENDMENT TO THE PRODUCT SPECIFICATION OF PROTECTED DESIGNATIONS OF ORIGIN/PROTECTED GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATIONS WHICH IS NOT MINOR

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

‘Mojama de Isla Cristina’

EU No: PGI-ES-01211- AM01— 3.10.2018

PGI (X) PDO ( )

1. Applicant group and legitimate interest

Consejo Regulador de las Indicaciones Geográficas Protegidas Mojama de Barbate y Mojama de Isla Cristina,

Glorieta del Agua n° 4, planta 2, módulo 9

41940 Tomares

Seville

ESPAÑA

Tel. +34 954151823

Email: consejoregulador@consejoreguladordelamojama.com

The legitimate interest of the applicant group is based on the fact that it is the body responsible for managing the Protected Geographical Indication ‘Mojama de Isla Cristina’ and was the original applicant for registration of the name.

2. Member State or third country

Spain

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

☐ Name of product

☒ Description of product

☐ Geographical area

☒ Proof of origin

☒ Method of production

☐ Link

☒ Labelling

☐ Other [to be specified]

4. Type of amendment(s)

☒ Amendment to product specification of a registered PDO or PGI not to be qualified as minor in accordance with the third subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.

☐ Amendment to product specification of registered PDO or PGI for which a Single Document (or equivalent) has not been published not to be qualified as minor in accordance with the third subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.

5. Amendment(s)

Section B. Description of product

5.1. In the first paragraph of section B of the specification and in point 3.2 of the single document, the word ‘sazonado’ (‘seasoned’) has been replaced by ‘salado’ (‘salted’). This was a mistake which has been corrected. The correct description of the product under Spanish law is ‘salted and dried’. The term ‘sazonado’ is used for foods which are in season, meaning ripe or at their peak.

5.2. In the third paragraph of section B of the specification and in point 3.2 of the single document, where Categoría Extra is defined, the words ‘which is less fatty’ have been deleted. - In the fourth paragraph of section B of the specification and in point 3.2 of the single document, where Categoría Primera is defined, the words ‘which contain more fat’ have been deleted. These phrases have been deleted as they are descriptive and do not characterise the product in any way.

5.3. In section B of the specification and in point 3.2 of the single document the parameter ‘humedad relativa’ (relative humidity) has been replaced by ‘actividad de agua’ (water activity). This was a mistake as relative humidity is an environmental parameter while water activity measures the moisture in a food item. It has been established that the water activity (aw) must be below 0,90.

5.4. In the first paragraph of subsection B.1 and in point 3.3, the weight of the bluefin tuna has been changed from 200 kg to 150 kg. This is justified by the smaller size of the fish currently caught, while naturally respecting the minimum permitted size, without compromising the quality of the finished product.

5.5. In subsection B.2, aerobic mesophiles have been deleted from the parameters table as they are not pathogenic microorganisms. They are covered by the horizontal rules and do not enhance the quality of the product.

5.6. The heavy metals table has been moved from subsection B.2 to B.1. Subsection B.1, which covers raw materials, is the section under which heavy metal content should be checked. The change is due to the need to know the concentration of heavy metals before the fresh cuts enter the production process. This is to ensure that finished products are never made from raw materials with a high heavy metal content.

Section D. Proof that the product originated in the area

5.7. In the fourth paragraph of section D, the requirement for production logbooks to ‘follow the template adopted by the Regulatory Board’ has been removed, as the production logbook is a self-monitoring tool for operators and the Regulatory Board should not be involved. Again in section D, the whole of the seventh paragraph has been deleted, i.e. ‘The Board must issue the certified salting facilities with numbered labels to serve as a guarantee of origin and artisanal processes when the products are placed on the market’. This is because the use of numbered labels is not considered necessary for product control, which can be done effectively using product and batch identification numbers. The removal of this requirement facilitates placing the product on the market.

Section E. Description of the method of production

5.8. Point c) of section E ‘Ronqueo (cutting-up of the tuna)’ has been developed generally, to give a more detailed description of the process, which is considered to be one of the most important steps in the production of quality mojamas. In the second paragraph, the following has been deleted: ‘the body of the tuna is opened out and the backbone removed’ and replaced by: ‘a slit is made along the line between the pelvic fin and anal finlets; then another slit is made along the line of the dorsal fin and dorsal finlets. It is this step that produces the sound which gives the process its name ronqueo. When the knife rubs against the backbone it makes a sound reminiscent of snoring (ronquido in Spanish). When the aforementioned slits have been made, two further slits are made, one on each side of the fish, at the insertion point of the pelvic fin. The purpose is to separate the two upper parts (negros or descargamentos) from the two lower parts (blancos or descargados). In the third paragraph, the following has been deleted: ‘The skin, remaining bones and dark meat are removed from the loins. After cleaning, the four loins produced from the upper parts and the four produced from the lower parts are washed and cut into strips. The length of the strips depends on the width of the tuna loin. The thickness must not exceed 5 cm’ and replaced by: ‘The skin is removed and the loins detached. They are cleaned of bones and sangacho (this is the traditional name for the strip of darker meat that runs along the length of the fish, produced by coagulated blood). This produces four loins classed as Extra and four classed as Primera. After cleaning, they are washed and cut into strips which eventually become mojamas. The length of the strips depends on the width of the tuna loin’. Again in the third paragraph, the requirement that the strips must not be ‘more than 5 cm’ thick has been deleted. The cutting is done manually, which means that, while the person cutting is highly skilled, there are inherent irregularities in the resulting cut. If a strip exceeds 5 cm at any point, the irregularities prevent certification of an otherwise perfectly executed operation. In addition, references to the level of fat in the classification of the loins obtained have been deleted from this section for the reason explained in point 5.2.

5.9. In the first paragraph of point d) of section E ‘Salting’, the requirement that the layer of salt be 2 to 4 cm thick has been deleted. This is because checks conducted over the course of a year have shown the difficulty of making exact measurements owing to irregularities in the salt. What matters is that the loins are entirely covered by salt and never touch each other. In the same paragraph, for the same reason, the following has been deleted: ‘The tuna strips are entirely covered in order to ensure even distribution of salt’ and replaced by: ‘ensuring that no tuna loin touches another. The salt must be distributed evenly to ensure that the tuna strips are entirely covered’. In addition, the word ‘tuna’ has been replaced by ‘tuna loin’ to give a more accurate description of the material. This also applies to points e) and g) of section E of the specification, so that the raw material is described as ‘tuna loin’ throughout. In the second paragraph, the salting time has been amended from ‘between 18 and 36 hours’ to ‘between 18 and 50 hours’, as checks carried out have shown that the thicker loins need to be salted for longer.

5.10. In the second paragraph of point e) of section E ‘Washing the loins’, the following has been deleted: ‘the strips are placed in cold water in piles and left to rest’ and replaced by: ‘the strips of tuna loin are placed in cold water baths. They are given a first washing to remove any salt clinging to them. They are then placed in baths of cold water and left to rest’. The purpose of this amendment is solely to improve the description of the process in order to assist checking against the specification. In the same paragraph, the following has been deleted: ‘During this process the water is changed three to four times’ and replaced by: ‘The water is changed at least once’. The reason is that checks have shown that so many changes of water are not necessary.

5.11. Points g) and h) of section E of the specification have been combined into a single point g) ‘Drying’, as this represents the process more accurately. The division into two points is in fact artificial, as these are not two separate operations (curing and drying) but a single continuous process (drying), which takes place in the drying facility, where the washed and, where necessary, pressed strips of tuna loin are taken to be dried and from which the dry strips of tuna loin are removed, ready to be made into the final product. The fourth paragraph of point g) now includes the wording ‘although it must not last less than 15 days’ in order to establish the minimum time for natural drying. In the fifth paragraph, on the mixed process, an error has been corrected regarding the maximum permitted temperature. It has been changed from 16 °C to 17 °C, and a minimum drying period has been established, which must not be less than 15 days. In the sixth paragraph, on drying in tunnels, the established time for drying ‘from 15 to 21 days’ has been deleted. The stipulation is now merely that the process must last ‘a minimum of 12 days’. The reason for the amendment is that checks have shown that 12 days of drying is sufficient for obtaining perfect mojama of the required quality. In the fifth and sixth paragraphs, it has been clarified that the ‘humidity’ that is checked in the facilities is the ‘relative humidity’.

5.12. Point i) has become h) owing to renumbering due to the merger of the previous points. A mistake has been corrected, with the term ‘loin’ being changed to ‘mojama’ as that is what it already is at this stage of the process. The phrase ‘the excess external oxidised fat remaining, which can be harmful or produce a bad taste’ has been deleted and replaced by the following: ‘the external imperfections that harm the product’s image’. This is a more accurate description of the process. The phrase ‘and therefore further from the backbone’ has been deleted, as it is redundant.

5.13. Point j) has become i) due to the renumbering above. The text of this point and of point 3.2 of the single document has been amended to improve the wording, introduce a new type of packaging, the plastic tray, and remove descriptive expressions. Previous wording: ‘Packaging and identification: The product is vacuum packed in transparent plastic bags, duly labelled, in pieces of different weights or sliced in olive or sunflower oil. It may also be packed in glass jars, sliced in olive or sunflower oil. The product must be packaged at source in order to maintain the physical and chemical characteristics attained at the end of the process, in particular the salt content and relative moisture’. New text: ‘Packaging and identification: The product may be vacuum packed in transparent plastic bags in pieces of different weights or sliced. It may also be packed in plastic trays or glass jars, sliced in olive or sunflower oil. The product must be packaged at source in order to maintain the physical, chemical and organoleptic characteristics attained at the end of the process’. The references to the presentation of the finished product in section B, ‘Description of the product’, have been amended accordingly.

Section H. ‘Labelling’

5.14. In section H of the specification entitled ‘Labelling’ the requirement regarding numbered labels has been removed, as stated in amendment 5.7. Again in section H and in point 3.6 of the single document, the requirement regarding use of the logo of the PGI’s regulatory board, incorrectly referred to as the ‘Protected Geographical Indication logo’ has also been removed. The requirement regarding use of the European Union PGI logo has of course been maintained. Thus in section H and in point 3.6 of the single document, the words ‘the label must bear the Protected Geographical Indication’s own logo, shown below:’ and the image of the logo in question have been deleted.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘Mojama de Isla Cristina’

EU No: PGI-ES-01211- AM01— 3.10.2018

PGI (X) PDO ( )

1. Name(s) [of PDO or PGI]

‘Mojama de Isla Cristina’

2. Member State or third country

Spain

3. Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1. Type of product

Class 1.7. Fresh fish, molluscs and crustaceans and products derived therefrom

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

‘Mojama de Isla Cristina’ is made from the fine part of the tuna fish known as the loin, both the upper and lower loins, which are cured by being salted and dried in the air or in tunnels designed for that purpose.

‘Mojama de Isla Cristina’ is classed as either Extra or Primera.

Categoría Extra: this is mojama made from the inside part of the loin, i.e. the part that is in contact with the tuna backbone.

Categoría Primera: this is mojama made from the parts of the loin adjacent to the parts used for Categoría Extra.

‘Mojama de Isla Cristina’ is dark brown on the outside, while on the inside there are the streaks characteristic of tuna loin, which are much more conspicuous in Categoría Primera than in Categoría Extra. When cut it is varying shades of deep red, darker at the edges, with a texture that is compact, smooth and not very fibrous, and it smells and tastes of oily fish.

The salt content is between 3 % and 9 % and the water activity is below 0,90 in the finished product.

‘Mojama de Isla Cristina’ is vacuum-packed in transparent plastic bags in pieces of different weights or in slices. It may also be packed in plastic trays or glass jars, sliced in olive or sunflower oil.

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

‘Mojama de Isla Cristina’ is made from tuna loin of the following species: Thunnus albacares, commercially known as yellowfin tuna, light tuna or rabil, and Thunnus thynnus, commercially known as bluefin tuna, with a live weight of more than 150 kg. There are no restrictions regarding the area of provenance of the raw material for ‘Mojama de Isla Cristina’, but only wild tuna is used.

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

The following operations must take place in the defined geographical area: washing the tuna, cutting it up (traditionally known as ronqueo), washing the different cuts obtained, salting, repeated washing to reach the desired level of saltiness, pressing, curing of the loins by drying, trimming and final selection for packaging.

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

‘Mojama de Isla Cristina’ must be packaged at source in order to maintain the physical, chemical and organoleptic characteristics attained at the end of the process.

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

The following must appear prominently on the label of every producer marketing PGI ‘Mojama de Isla Cristina’: the words ‘Mojama de Isla Cristina’ and the European Union PGI logo.

4. Concise definition of the geographical area

‘Mojama de Isla Cristina’ is made in the municipalities of Isla Cristina, Lepe, Cartaya and Ayamonte in the province of Huelva.

5. Link with the geographical area

‘Mojama de Isla Cristina’ is recognised on the national market as a gourmet product, characterised by careful preparation, a high price and discerning consumption. It can be found in food stores that specialise in regional specialities, in different parts of Spain.

The link between ‘Mojama de Isla Cristina’ and the geographical area derives from the prestige and reputation the product has acquired due to the area’s fish salting tradition. It is an area where tuna has been fished for centuries and is still fished today and where know-how resides in the artisanal preparation methods, based on knowledge and experience handed down from one generation to the next.

The whole coast of the Gulf of Cádiz has a long fishing and tuna-salting tradition, which dates from the times of the Phoenicians and the Tartessians, who taught the fishing techniques to the area’s early inhabitants, and there are references to catching tuna in a maze of nets that date back to that time.

Fishing was a flourishing way of life, and because there was a need to salt fish so that it could be traded, many fish-salting businesses sprang up around Isla Cristina, Ayamonte and Cartaya and generally all along the Huelva coast, where all kinds of tuna and other scombrids were prepared and exported all over the world.

Under the peoples who subsequently settled in the south of Spain, the fishing industry continued and prospered and it is still there today, preserving the traditional, artisanal methods of preparing and salting the tuna loins.

The traditional Huelva salting industry is concentrated in Isla Cristina, Lepe and Ayamonte, where the traditional preparation techniques are still used, the climatic conditions being especially suitable.

‘Mojama de Isla Cristina’ is the most important salted tuna product and the industry that prepares it has been developed by small and medium-sized family companies, run by the founders or their descendants, which has enabled the most traditional production methods to be maintained, incorporating only those new methods that improve food safety and permit comprehensive control of the production process, in the pursuit of enhanced quality.

To prepare the product, specialised knowledge and experience are required at every stage of the process: cutting up the fish, removing the loins used to make ‘Mojama de Isla Cristina’, making the cuts in the right places, salting, where the skill lies in knowing how much to salt, then washing, which has to be done in a controlled manner to ensure that the excess – and only the excess – salt is eliminated, and finally drying, which takes place in optimal conditions due to the local microclimate, either naturally or in tunnels designed for that purpose.

Since 2001, Isla Cristina has hosted the Jornadas del atún [tuna week], where world experts gather to share knowledge of a species that is of relevance to tourism, the economy and conservation. The event is organised by the Muy Noble Sociedad de Amigos del Atún Thunnus thynnus y Amantes del Vino, and the activities organised to showcase traditional cuisine include professional mojama tasting, where prizes are awarded to Isla Cristina’s best mojamas, the Semana de Alta Gastronomía [haute cuisine week] where well-known restaurateurs prepare tuna dishes, or the Muestra Culinaria del Atún, involving most of Isla Cristina’s bars, tascas, restaurants and mesones, which compete to produce the excellent dishes passed down through generations of fishermen and their wives.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food’s publication Inventario Español de Productos Tradicionales (1996) and the research published by the Fundación Unicaja, entitled Catalogación y Caracterización de los Productos Típicos Agroalimentarios de Andalucía, Volume II (2006), list ‘Mojama de Isla Cristina’ as a traditional product.

As evidence of the product’s reputation in culinary circles outside the municipality, the ABC de Sevilla newspaper of 1 April 2003 reported on the III Jornadas Gastronómicas Andaluzas en el Ritz de Madrid: De Lepe a la Castellana. The article said that the event was inaugurated by the Coral Playa restaurant from La Antilla Lepe (Huelva) and the menu included jamón de la sierra de Aracena, ‘Mojama de Isla Cristina’ and Huelva’s famous prawns.

At the XIX Jornada Gastronómica de Granada held in 2010, one of the dishes that could be tasted was ‘Mojama de Isla Cristina’ en tostas con Salmorejo.

‘Mojama de Isla Cristina’ is mentioned in the Anuario de la Cocina de la Comunitat Valenciana 2013, which was published on 7 December 2012 by José Manuel Rubio, a lover of fine food, and includes selected examples of national and European specialities.

‘Mojama de Isla Cristina’ features on the menu of the Acánthum restaurant as one of its favourite entremeses.

On the menu of the Casa Machaquito restaurant ‘Mojama de Isla Cristina’ features as a local culinary speciality.

La Mirta, the restaurant in the Hotel Eurostar Tartessos, has an extensive online menu featuring ‘Mojama de Isla Cristina’ along with two other prized products of Huelva province, prawns and ham.

‘Mojama de Isla Cristina’ also appears in the ‘Gruta’ Vademecum de Alimentos [food compendium], which gives a detailed description, with its physical characteristics and guidelines on how to make it.

Regarding the use of the name in everyday language, an article in the ABC de Sevilla newspaper of 7 August 2000 featured the expression ‘...tiesos cual mojama de Barbate o de Isla Cristina’ [an expression meaning ‘completely skint’].

Reference to publication of the specification

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

The full text of the product specification can be found at:

https://www.juntadeandalucia.es/export/drupaljda/Pliego_Isla_Cristina_modificado.pdf

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