EN Official Journal of the European Union C 247/7

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 247/06

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)

‘PAPRIKA ŽITAVA’/‘ŽITAVSKÁ PAPRIKA’

EC No: SK-PDO-0005-01024-10.08.2012

PGI ( ) PDO ( X )

1. Name

‘Paprika Žitava’/‘Žitavská paprika’

The product takes its name from Slovakia's Žitava river valley where it was first grown. Although the area in which the peppers are grown and processed has gradually spread across the Danubian Lowland, the name has been retained and is used to this day. The product used to be called just ‘Paprika Žitava’, but for linguistic and export-related reasons, it also came to be referred to as ‘Žitavská paprika’. Both names continue to be used, whether in a commercial context in accordance with customary usage in the trade, or in everyday language, such as in recipes for meat products and dishes.

2. Member State or Third Country

Slovak Republic

3. Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1. Type of product

Class 1.8. Other products of Annex I to the Treaty (spices, etc.)

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

‘Paprika Žitava’/‘Žitavská paprika’ is a sweet paprika made by grinding the dried fruits of the Capsicum chilli pepper grown in the Danubian Lowland; the fruits are picked intact when ripe and then undergo a special post-harvest treatment process.

‘Paprika Žitava’/‘Žitavská paprika’ gets its characteristic intense colour from the final stage in the grinding process on what is known as the ‘colouring stone’; as pressure is applied, the temperature rises and the oil contained in the seeds is released, which is what imparts the characteristic orange-red colour.

Organoleptic characteristics

Aroma: pleasant vegetable aroma, fresh, with capsicum notes

Flavour: distinctly sweet, with no bitterness, reminiscent of fresh capsicums/sweet peppers

Physical and chemical characteristics

Appearance: homogeneous powder, with minimum microparticle content, ground finely enough to completely pass through a sieve with a mesh aperture diameter of 0,5 mm.

Colour: bright, orange-red, (pigment at least 3,6 g/kg–1 or 120 ASTA units in the dry matter of the chilli)

Dry matter: minimum 90 %

Fat content: 9-11 %

Ash: not more than 7,00 %

Ash insoluble in HCl: not more than 0,70 %

Capsaicin in dry matter expressed as percentage by weight: 0,01-0,029 %

The paprika may not contain any additives. All the moisture is naturally contained in the intracellular space of the chillies.

3.3. Raw materials (for processed products only)

‘Paprika Žitava’/‘Žitavská paprika’ may be produced only from a mixture of the following pepper varieties: Dvorská, Kolora, Kora Zel, Žitavská, Karkulka, Hodonínska sladká vzpriamená, Irokez, Rubin, Czárdás, Kármin and Szegedi 80. All the varieties used in the production of ‘Paprika Žitava’/‘Žitavská paprika’ are from the specified geographical area. The mixture used to make the product may contain all or just some of these varieties.

Growers declare on their sales contracts that they grow only the pepper varieties in question, and this can be verified from their seed purchases. The quality of the peppers, which are harvested by hand, is checked visually to ensure that the required fruit quality is not impaired. Only fully ripe fruits with a high pigment content are harvested. The harvesting of the ripe fruits begins in September and runs up until the end of October. It is important to prevent any mechanical damage to the fruits during harvesting. Paprika producers regularly monitor and record the quality of the raw materials before, during and after the production process.

3.4. Feed (for products of animal origin only)

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

The chillies used to produce ‘Paprika Žitava’/‘Žitavská paprika’ must be grown, harvested and processed in the geographical area referred to in point 4, so that the origin of the product is guaranteed and the production monitored.

The whole production process takes place exclusively in the defined geographical area, involving the following stages:

Cultivation

Harvesting and post-harvest treatment

Drying

Grinding

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

‘Paprika Žitava’/‘Žitavská paprika’ must be prepared for sale and packaged in the geographical area referred to in point 4, so that the origin of the product is guaranteed and the production monitored, and to ensure that, when transported loose, it is not exposed to moisture that might impair its quality and special characteristics. ‘Paprika Žitava’/‘Žitavská paprika’ comes in paper, polyethylene, polyester and aluminium packaging, with oxygen permeability of less than 10 cm3/m2.d.0,1MPa and water vapour permeability of less than 10 g/m2.d. to maintain the quality and special characteristics of the product during its shelf-life.

3.7. Specific rules concerning labelling

Producers who make the product in accordance with the specification may use the name ‘Paprika Žitava’/‘Žitavská paprika’ for labelling, promoting and marketing the product. The labels on the product must include the words ‘chránené označenie pôvodu’ (protected designation of origin) or the acronym ‘CHOP’ (PDO) with the associated EU logo.

4. Concise definition of the geographical area

The geographical area where ‘Paprika Žitava’/‘Žitavská paprika’ is grown and processed is located in the Danubian Lowland, at the Váh, Hron and Nitra river mouths and in the Little Danube and Žitava river valleys. It is bordered by the Danubian Hills to the east and to the north, by the Little Carpathians to the west and by the river Danube to the south. The area basically covers the Danubian Lowland.

5. Link with the geographical area

5.1. Specificity of the geographical area

The Danubian Lowland is the most northerly area where heat-loving fruits, such as sweet peppers and chillies, can be grown cost-effectively. The area enjoys 70 days a year when the temperature tops 25 °C. The areas under cultivation are located at between 150 and 250 metres above sea level and the average temperature from May to September is 17,4 °C. Rainfall is 500-600 mm a year. The climate is characterised by hot and dry summers. The subsoil is made up of Neogene clays, gravels and sands. The fertility of the soil is optimal.

Method of cultivation: Regional varieties have been developed by growers on the basis of their know-how and experience accumulated over the years since peppers were first cultivated. As heat-loving plants, peppers have a long vegetation period and die if the temperature drops to – 2 °C. In Slovakia they are sown directly outside or grown from seedlings raised in greenhouses or coldframes and then planted out around the middle of May, 30 cm apart in rows 60 cm apart. In dry years when the soil moisture drops below 55 % the plants are irrigated.

Post-harvest handling the chilli peppers are put in mesh bags or perforated crates, which are placed on top of each other and arranged in such a way as to maximise ventilation and prevent damage to the peppers.

Post-harvest ripening is extremely important, since for 2-5 weeks after harvesting there are enzymatic processes at work which intensify the colour in the peppers and give them their characteristic flavour and aroma.

Drying: The chillies are washed in a rotary drum and sorted on a conveyor belt, to ensure that only clean unblemished peppers go into the next stage of the process. Each pepper is cut in half lengthways. The drying process uses a current of hot air, the temperature of which is reduced as the peppers dry. Correct cutting, drying and storage minimises the risk of mould forming in the product.

Grinding: The dried chillies are ground in two stages using a traditional method on a fine-grain rotating millstone. The first-stage millstone has a sieve to sift the ground paprika. The finely ground paprika falls through onto a spiralled conveyor, which feeds it into the homogeniser. The paprika that is not finely ground enough is returned back onto the rollers. The paprika then moves onto the second stage from the homogeniser to the ‘colouring stone’, which presses out the pigment-bearing oils to give the optimum colour. To maintain the taste properties and the vitamins B and C content, the stones rotate slowly, so that the temperature does not rise too much. The whole process is completed by sifting the powder through a sieve with a mesh aperture diameter of less than 0,5 mm, ensuring homogeneity.

5.2. Specificity of the product

The pepper varieties obtained through selection and breeding are characterised by their relatively low fat content and relatively high sugar content, which gives ‘Paprika Žitava’/‘Žitavská paprika’ its pronounced flavour and orange-red colour. The chillies must be ground using the traditional ‘colouring stone’ and properly transported and stored in order to preserve all the organoleptic properties.

The typical orange-red colour of ‘Paprika Žitava’/‘Žitavská paprika’ depends on the special properties of the raw material (the peppers) and the traditional grinding method that does not impair the product.

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 specific characteristics of the product are imparted by the specific characteristics of the geographical area in terms of its soil, climate and human potential. The natural conditions in this region, which is the most northerly region suitable for pepper cultivation, the specially selected and bred traditional varieties and the traditional cultivation and processing techniques are what makes ‘Paprika Žitava’/‘Žitavská paprika’ the product it is. The elevation, abundant water, permeable soil and relatively low number of sunny days in summer mean that the high saccharide content in the peppers is not transformed into pigment to the same extent as it is when peppers are grown in hotter areas, but is retained in terms of flavour. This is what gives ‘Paprika Žitava’/‘Žitavská paprika’ its uniquely sweet aroma and flavour. This combination of factors makes it possible to grow regional varieties of peppers that give ‘Paprika Žitava’/‘Žitavská paprika’ its distinctive colour, aroma and flavour.

The post-harvest handling, drying and grinding also reflect know-how and skills accumulated over generations. The climatic conditions in the growing area have shaped the post-harvest handling procedures. One of the key elements in this is the post-harvest ripening, which affects the quality of the paprika and increases the pigment content. In order to be ground the peppers need to be dried so that they have a 90 % dry matter content.

‘Paprika Žitava’/‘Žitavská paprika’ was first grown and processed in the defined geographical area as far back as the 18th century. When cultivation turned large-scale, varieties were imported from Spain and Hungary. The Spanish varieties proved unsuccessful, but using Hungarian varieties and drawing on the know-how of Hungarian growers, in particular from the Szeged and Kalocsa regions, Slovak growers developed local varieties adapted to the soil and climate of the region. New local varieties were created simply by selecting from the best growers. At first they were named after the village or producer, with names like Močenská hrubostenná, Branovská Fekete and Branovská Ďurica. Later on they were named after rivers in the regions where they grew well, with names like Považská hrubostenná sladká, Nitrianska tenkostenná sladká, Dunajská hrubostenná sladká, Žitavská hrubostenná sladká and Hodonínska sladká vzpriamená.

The first industrial paprika mill, which belonged to the Šmigura family, began operating in 1928. In 1934 a high-performance mill was also constructed in Diakovce by a Mr Holub, the administrator of the assets of the archdiocese of Esztergom. Further mills were gradually built in Hurbanovo, Nové Zámky and Dvory nad Žitavou.

More intensive plant-breeding activity to select varieties suitable for the region began in the 1950s. The first genetically determined regional varieties, such as Karkulka and Agronomka, went into cultivation. Breeding, with the emphasis on using proven regional varieties, created the wide range of varieties that continue to be cultivated to this day. The main varieties are Dvorská, Kolora, Kora Zel, Žitavská, Karkulka, Hodonínska sladká vzpriamená, Irokez, Rubin, Czárdás, Kármin and Szegedi 80.

Although paprika production has been affected by social changes in the country, with production carried out in different factories and by different companies, the specific characteristics of the product and the traditional production method have been maintained to this day.

Despite the huge influx of peppers from other regions, the chillies used to make ‘Paprika Žitava’/‘Žitavská paprika’ continue to be grown in the Danube Lowland, constituting a significant source of income and employment in the region, particularly for small growers, as well as being a symbol of their culture and tradition.

Reference to publication of the specification

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

http://www.upv.sk/swift_data/source/pdf/specifikacie_op_oz/SPECIFIKACIA_Paprika_Zitava.pdf

(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.