EN Official Journal of the European Union C 89/62

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

2014/C 89/10

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)

‘TORRONE DI BAGNARA’

EC No: IT-PGI-0005-01101-27.03.2013

PGI ( X ) PDO ( )

1. Name

‘Torrone di Bagnara’

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

The name ‘Torrone di Bagnara’ designates exclusively the product obtained from the processing and cooking of honey, sugar, unpeeled roasted almonds and powdered cinnamon and cloves, covered with granulated sugar or unsweetened cocoa powder.

‘Torrone di Bagnara’ comes in two versions, depending on what it is covered with:

‘Martiniana’ (covered with granulated sugar);

‘Torrefatto glassato’ (covered with unsweetened cocoa powder);

When it is released for consumption, ‘Torrone di Bagnara’ has the following physical and organoleptic characteristics:

shape: rectangular parallelepiped with rounded sides;

size:

length: between 4 cm and 12 cm;

width: between 1,5 cm and 2,5 cm;

height: between 1,5 cm and 2,5 cm;

weight: between 14 g and 35 g;

outer appearance: rough surface the colour of roasted coffee beans — a brown shade known as manto di monaco (‘monk’s cloak’) — covered in granulated sugar (‘Martiniana’ version) or glossy, smooth and polished with a dark brown colour owing to the covering of a mixture of sugar and cocoa powder (‘Torrone glassato’ version);

inner appearance: brown in colour with many almonds, evenly distributed;

texture: crunchy and crumbly;

flavour: at first bite, the nougat appears crumbly and crunchy owing to the right degree of roasting of the almonds and the high temperature to which the sugar mix is exposed. On the palate, the sweetness of the product is balanced by the flavour of the roasted almonds and a clear caramelised sensation with a mild aftertaste of spices which, in the ‘Torrefatto glassato’ version, also incorporates the flavour of unsweetened cocoa powder.

3.3. Raw materials (for processed products only)

‘Torrone di Bagnara’ is made with the following ingredients:

Compulsory ingredients

Ingredients for the nougat mix:

— sugar mix made up of caster sugar and orange blossom honey, clear wildflower honey or French honeysuckle (sulla) honey,

— sweet, unpeeled almonds,

— powdered cinnamon, powdered cloves.

Ingredients for the covering:

— ‘Martiniana’ version: caster sugar for the icing, granulated sugar for the dusting,

— ‘Torrefatto Glassato’ version: caster sugar — possibly partially replaced with fondant sugar — for the icing, unsweetened cocoa powder with 22-24 % cocoa butter.

Optional ingredients for the two versions

Egg white or albumin; vanilla; essential oils of citrus fruits; processing aid to obtain sugar syrup.

The product contains neither preservatives nor artificial colours.

3.4. Feed (for products of animal origin only)

—

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

All stages of processing of the ingredients and cooking of the ‘Torrone di Bagnara’ take place in the identified geographical area.

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

‘Torrone di Bagnara’ is sold in single-product or multiproduct packages. In order to safeguard product quality, packaging must take place within at most four hours of the product cooling. This helps to prevent possible bacteriological contamination and ensures that the product does not absorb humidity from the external environment, which would cause not only the risk of mould appearing during storage, but also the immediate excessive softening of the product with negative consequences both for its outer appearance (the icing would break up or cracks would appear on the surface) and its inner texture (some crunchiness would be lost). During this stage it is also necessary to avoid intermediary handling of the product in order to ensure that the surface does not lose its glossiness (‘Torrefatto glassato’ version) or part of its dusting of sugar (‘Martiniana’ version).

3.7. Specific rules concerning labelling

When sold in single-product packages, ‘Torrone di Bagnara’ must be placed in a wrapper bearing the words ‘Torrone di Bagnara’, ‘Indicazione Geografica Protetta’ (protected geographical indication) in full (the acronym ‘IGP’ (‘PGI’) may be added), and/or the symbol of the Union, and the product logo shown below.

When ‘Torrone di Bagnara’ is sold in in multiproduct packages, i.e. a tray or box containing several pieces of nougat wrapped individually, the wordings and images mentioned above must feature on the package (tray or box) and on the wrapping of each individual piece.

It is forbidden to add any description that is not expressly provided for.

It is however permitted to use one of the two additional designations pertaining to the type of icing (‘Martiniana’ or ‘Torrone glassato’); references, including historical references, to brand names, provided that they are not such as to mislead the consumer; and other true and demonstrable references that are allowed by EU, national or regional law.

The product logo features the words ‘Torrone di Bagnara’ in a single line at the top. The centre of the logo features a stylised image of the Rocca di Bagnara fortress above a figure of a mermaid whose body is formed with a curved line.

4. Concise definition of the geographical area

The geographical area of production of ‘Torrone di Bagnara’ is the entire administrative territory of the municipality of Bagnara Calabra in the province of Reggio Calabria.

5. Link with the geographical area

5.1. Specificity of the geographical area

The geographical area is a seaside town located at the foot of a high, steep rock face, the structure of which has never allowed agricultural activity, except for some narrow rows of vines grown on terraces, or made trade with the interior easy. The economic development of Bagnara has thus always been based around the sea, via which traditional local products were sold. These local products were often exchanged for sugar and spices, the availability of which is the origin of the emergence of local spice dealerships in the first half of the 19th century. The spice dealerships are the ancestors of the modern-day industrial or craft firms producing ‘Torrone di Bagnara’ and acted as the breeding ground for the skills that have developed in the town and that to this day are characterised by specific knowledge of both the ingredients and the production processes.

5.2. Specificity of the product

‘Torrone di Bagnara’ is sold in two forms historically produced in the town of the same name, that is the ‘Martiniana’ and ‘Torrefatto glassato’ versions. The characteristic which has allowed ‘Torrone di Bagnara’ to become established among consumers is its specific crumbly and crunchy texture. This characteristic is linked to the traditional system of cooking the mix over a high flame and at high temperatures, which is not the case for ordinary types of nougat which are prepared in a bain-marie at lower temperatures. This production method is also responsible for other particular organoleptic characteristics such as the brown colour inside the nougat and the specific caramelised sensation on the palate. Another typical characteristic of ‘Torrone di Bagnara’ is the use of spices, an historical legacy of the specificity of the geographical area which enriches and distinguishes the taste of ‘Torrone di Bagnara’.

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)

Over time, ‘Torrone di Bagnara’ has built up a great reputation. This dates back to 1846, when ‘Torrone di Bagnara’ was specifically mentioned as a speciality of a family of confectioners, still in business, that became a supplier to the Royal House of Savoy towards the end of that century. Throughout the 19th century, numerous documents attest to intensive production activity and equally intensive consignment of the product for sale. In 1885, the writer N. Marcone stated that ‘“Torrone di Bagnara” has travelled around the world and is certainly deserving of that honour’ (Un viaggio in Calabria. Impressioni e ricordi). The reputation of ‘Torrone di Bagnara’ continued all through the 20th century. In 1983, Canon A. Giuffrè wrote in his Storia di Bagnara that ‘The special nature of this confectionery product (“Torrone di Bagnara”) … has made Bagnara famous’.

In addition, local newspapers, gastronomic guides and magazines have mentioned ‘Torrone di Bagnara’ as a typical product of the identified geographical area. An article entitled ‘Le tante vie del torrone’ published in the Gazzetta del Sud newspaper on 14 December 1995 identified the municipality of Bagnara as the starting point of the so-called ‘nougat route’ and mentioned the names of several families that have long been producing ‘Torrone di Bagnara’. The food guide entitled Atlante dei prodotti tipici dei parchi Italiani (2002 edition, p. 215) referred, in its section on Calabrian confectionery, to Bagnara Calabra as a locality famous for its long-standing tradition of producing nougat and gave information on the product varieties and the ingredients used. The publication entitled Calabria sapori di una terra antica — le specialità enogastronomiche regionali d’eccellenza ed i prodotti tipici di qualità (p. 11, published by Calabria Regional Authority, 2004) cites ‘Torrone di Bagnara’ as a typical confectionery product of Calabria. This link is cemented by the traditional ‘Festa del Torrone’ festival held each year in November, which helps to perpetuate the fame and reputation of the product.

Historical and cultural elements

In the period after the Second World War, a series of small firms began flourishing, giving rise to a fully fledged ‘Torrone di Bagnara district’ marked by the particular vitality of its operators. Over the years, this allowed the acquisition of specific techniques and the development and maintenance of knowledge and skills needed both for processing the ingredients and the final presentation of the two versions of the product, ‘Martiniana’ and ‘Torrefatto Glassato’. These have been handed down from generation to generation and are not found in other areas.

Moreover, the local specialised terminology still retains jargon that can be traced back to the age-old production tradition, such as manto di monaco (‘monk’s cloak’) for the colour of the nougat, cotta for the warm, unshaped nougat mix and torroniera for the special cauldron used by master confectioners.

Reference to publication of the specification

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

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) See footnote 2.