EN Official Journal of the European Union C 88/25

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

2014/C 88/18

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).

AMENDMENT APPLICATION

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006

on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs (2)

AMENDMENT APPLICATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH ARTICLE 9

‘SALAME PIACENTINO’

EC No: IT-PDO-0117-01104-08.04.2013

PGI ( ) PDO ( X )

1. Heading in the product specification affected by the amendment

—  Name of product — ☒ Description of product —  Geographical area —  Proof of origin — ☒ Method of production —  Link —  Labelling —  National requirements —  Other (to be specified)

2. Type of amendment

— ☒ Amendment to single document or summary sheet —  Amendment to Specification of registered PDO or PGI for which neither the Single Document nor the Summary has been published —  Amendment to specification that requires no amendment to the published single document (Article 9(3) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006) —  Temporary amendment to specification resulting from imposition of obligatory sanitary or phytosanitary measures by public authorities (Article 9(4) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006)

3. Amendment(s)

Description of product

— The sentence in the summary sheet (point 4.2 ‘Description’) stating that fresh legs of pork must be used for ‘Salame Piacentino’ has been deleted. This amendment aims to correct an inconsistency between the summary sheet published in OJ C 122, 11.5.2010, p. 17 and the Specification. Indeed, the requirements in Article 3 of the specification regarding the raw material used to produce ‘Salame Piacentino’ were always that different cuts of meat from Italian heavy pigs are to be used, and not legs of pork as could be deduced from the summary sheet.

Method of production

— The introduction of the use of nitrites, within the legal limits, is required because the presence of nitrites and nitrates gives the salami greater resistance against diseases and oxidation during the production phase of ‘Salame Piacentino’ PDO.

— The inclusion of nutmeg into the salting mixture is requested in order to have a modern alternative to the traditional production recipe.

— The amendment to permit the use of starter cultures is aimed at ensuring that the fermentation process begins strongly, something which is increasingly difficult today due to the lack of bacteria in the atmosphere and the machinery as a result of modern hygiene requirements.

— We have included the maximum size limit for ‘Salame Piacentino’ PDO so as to guarantee that the production tradition is respected. ‘Salame Piacentino’ is traditionally of a small size, and therefore we thought it appropriate to explicitly introduce a limit on the maximum size of the salami so that the maturing period stated in the specification is the optimum for this traditional size, allowing for uniform and ideal maturing. Moreover, by limiting the maximum size of the product, we can guarantee that the increase in the maximum permitted weight for the salami for slicing to 2 kg does not in any way change its quality characteristics; therefore, it is guaranteed to have the same appearance of the slices and the same uniformity of maturing as the product sold whole.

— The salami for slicing is packed into an elastic-twine net so as to make it easier to slice, as this twine can be more easily removed prior to slicing.

— The introduction of a margin of error of + 10 % for the humidity parameters during the maturing process helps improve the quality of the PDO. Today's consumers want products to be matured for longer, even beyond the minimum period stated in the specification. In such cases we have found that the longer maturing period may lead to air getting into and thus oxidising the product if the atmosphere is not sufficiently humid. It is therefore appropriate to allow greater flexibility in the humidity parameters for the maturing room.

— We thought it necessary to increase the maximum permitted weight for slicing salami so as to eliminate some issues linked with the amount of waste generated and the low waste obtained when slicing a smaller product.

— The reduction of the minimum ash content from 4 % to 1,5 % is in line with the minimum permitted salt content, on which the ash content closely depends, and is also consistent with the trend towards reducing the amount of salt in food.

— The reduction of the finished-product pH value from 5,4 to 5,2 is consistent with the introduction of starter cultures in the abovementioned amendment. The minimum pH variation of 0,2 does not affect the product's quality and organoleptic characteristics.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006

on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs (3)

‘SALAME PIACENTINO’

EC No: IT-PDO-0117-01104-08.04.2013

PGI ( ) PDO ( X )

1. Name

‘Salame Piacentino’

2. Member State or Third Country

Italy

3. Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1. Type of product

Class 1.2 — Meat product (cooked, salted, smoked etc.)

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

‘Salame Piacentino’ is a salted, naturally matured product, cased in pig gut, to be eaten raw. ‘Salame Piacentino’ is produced using lean pig meat with added pig fat at between 10 % and 30 %. The finished product is cylindrical in shape; its slices are bright red in colour, interspersed with chunks of pinkish white fat. It has a particular, very intense, rather sweet flavour with a characteristic aroma of sausage meat.

3.3. Raw materials (for processed products only)

‘Salame Piacentino’ comes from pigs that are born, raised and slaughtered in Emilia Romagna and Lombardy. The denomination ‘Salame Piacentino’ is subject to the derogation in Article 5(3) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.

3.4. Feed (for products of animal origin only)

There are detailed rules to be observed regarding the use and composition of the feed ration. The feeding of the pigs takes place in two stages and is mainly based on cereal products from the macro-area identified in point 3.3. The average feed ration mainly consists of maize mash followed by barley, bran, soya and mineral supplements. Cheesemaking by-products (whey, curds and buttermilk) mostly come from cheesemakers in the identified geographical area.

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

All steps in the production, salting, mixing, casing, drying and maturing of ‘Salame Piacentino’ take place in the area indicated in point 4 below.

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

Packaging, slicing and portioning must take place under the supervision of the designated control facility, exclusively in the production area indicated in point 4. In order to ensure that the product's original and specific characteristics are maintained, packaging, slicing and portioning must be carried out in the production area by people with special knowledge of the product. Contact with air and exposure of the sliced or portioned product without its casing to unsuitable environmental conditions may lead to oxidisation and thus to the slices or the cut surfaces turning brown, resulting in the characteristic bright red colour of the lean meat being lost, the fat becoming rancid and the aroma changing.

3.7. Specific rules concerning labelling

When released for consumption, the product must bear the words ‘Salame Piacentino’.

The designation ‘Salame Piacentino’ must appear on the label in clear, indelible letters fully distinguishable from any other wording and be followed immediately by the term ‘Denominazione di Origine Protetta’ (protected designation of origin).

Any other description not expressly allowed is prohibited.

However, the use of indications which make reference to names, company names and private brands is authorised, provided they have no laudatory purport and are not such as to mislead the consumer, as are names of pig farms from which the product comes.

4. Concise definition of the geographical area

The ‘Salame Piacentino’ production area covers the whole of the province of Piacenza, but includes only those parts below 900 m above sea level, where particular climatic conditions prevail.

5. Link with the geographical area

5.1. Specificity of the geographical area

The production of ‘Salame Piacentino’ began during the Roman period and has been passed down over time, concentrated in the geographical area of Piacenza province.

The importance of the ‘Salame Piacentino’ production area ties in with the development of a typical rural culture common to the entire Po valley, from where the raw material is sourced (Emilia Romagna and Lombardy). In the area which is the source of the raw material, the development of livestock farming is linked to the widespread cultivation of cereal crops and to working methods in the highly specialised dairy sector which have encouraged pig farming locally.

Producers in Piacenza province have developed and passed down through time their specific abilities in selecting the cuts of meat and processing the lean and fat portions. In addition, the presence of cool, water-rich valleys and wooded hills has a positive influence on the conditions for maturation.

5.2. Specificity of the product

‘Salame Piacentino’ is characterised by its sweet, intense aroma which develops as it matures. The lean part of its slices is bright red in colour, interspersed with chunks of white fat. The raw material for ‘Salame Piacentino’ is made up of different cuts of meat, properly trimmed and selected, from pigs with the typical characteristics of the Italian heavy pig.

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 qualities of ‘Salame Piacentino’ depend on environmental conditions and natural and human factors. In particular, the characterisation of the raw material is closely linked to the identified geographical area where it is sourced; here, techniques for raising Italian heavy pigs have been developed which determine the quality of the cuts of meat used for producing ‘Salame Piacentino’.

Moreover, the fact that ‘Salame Piacentino’ production is based in Piacenza province is linked to the local producers who, over time, have perfected their skills in selecting lean cuts and in mixing them with the fat and the spices. These skills, along with the knowledge of how best to mature the ‘Salame Piacentino’, are testimony to the link between the product and its area.

The environmental factors are closely linked with the characteristics of the production area and in particular its climate, which has a vital impact on the characteristics of the finished product, contributing to the successful maturing of the ‘Salame Piacentino’.

This combination of ‘raw material — product — designation’ is therefore linked to the socio-economic development of the area, with connotations that cannot be reproduced elsewhere.

Reference to publication of the specification

(Article 5(7) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 (4))

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 alternatively:

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’ (at the top right 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) Replaced by Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.

(4) See footnote 3.