EN Official Journal of the European Union C 222/12

Publication of an application pursuant to Article 6(2) of Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs

2009/C 222/07

This publication confers the right to object to the application pursuant to Article 7 of Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006. Statements of objection must reach the Commission within six months of the date of this publication.

SUMMARY

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006

‘PINTADEAU DE LA DRÔME’

EC No: FR-PGI-0005-0546-30.03.2006

PDO ( ) PGI ( X )

This summary sets out the main elements of the product specification for information purposes.

1. Responsible department in the Member State:

Name: Institut National de l’Origine et de la Qualité Address: 51 rue d’Anjou 75008 Paris FRANCE Tel. +33 153898000 Fax +33 142255797 E-mail: info@inao.gouv.fr

2. Group:

Name: Syndicat de défense du Pintadeau de la Drôme Address: ZA La Pimpie 26120 Montelier FRANCE Tel. +33 475601500 Fax +33 475599950 E-mail: pintadeau.drome2@freesbee.fr Composition: Producers/processors ( X ) Other ( )

3. Type of product:

Class 1.1.: Fresh meat (and offal)

4. Specification:

(summary of requirements under Article 4(2) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006)

4.1. Name:

‘Pintadeau de la Drôme’

4.2. Description:

‘Pintadeau de la Drôme’ is a young guinea fowl with the following characteristics:

— pintadeau = young guinea fowl in which the sternum is flexible, not ossified,

— from slow-growing strains, with a blue-grey plumage and dark tarsi,

— average live weight on slaughter of 1 750 g (plus or minus 450 g),

— age at slaughter of between 87 and 100 days,

— the meat of the bird has the properties of that of a wild fowl, being less fatty, more strongly flavoured, firmer and more fibrous.

‘Pintadeau de la Drôme’ is marketed fresh in several presentations:

Whole: — partially eviscerated and without packaging, — oven-ready, without packaging or on a tray under film.

In portions: — in portions on a tray under film or under a protective atmosphere, — in loose portions.

4.3. Geographical area:

The geographical area in which ‘Pintadeau de la Drôme’ is reared comprises 256 municipalities in the Department of Drôme as follows:

— all the municipalities of the Cantons of Bourg de Péage, Crest-Nord, Crest-Sud, Le Grand-Serre, Grignan, Loriol-sur-Drôme, Marsanne, Montélimar I, Montélimar II, Pierrelatte, Romans I, Romans II, Saint-Donat-sur-l’Herbasse, Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux, Saint-Vallier, Tain-l’Hermitage, Bourg-les-Valence and Portesles-Valence,

— the Canton of Bourdeaux except for the Municipalities of Bézaudun-sur-Bine, Bouvières and les-Tonils,

— the Canton de Buis-les-Baronnies except for the Municipalities of Beauvoisin, Bellecombe-Tarendol, Bésignan, Plaisians, Poët-en-Percip, Rioms, Rochebrunne, la-Roche-sur-le-Buis, la-Rochette-du-Buis, Saint-Auban-sur-Ouvèze, Sainte-Euphémie-sur-Ouvèze, Saint-Sauveur-Gouvernet and Vercoiran,

— the Canton de Chabeuil except for the Municipality of le-Chaffal,

— the Canton de Die except for the Municipalities of Aix-en-Diois, Chamaloc, Laval-d’Aix, Marignac-en-Diois, Molières-Glandaz, Montmaur-en-Diois, Ponet-et-Saint-Auban, Romeyer, Saint-Andéol, Saint-Julien-en-Quint and Vachères-en-Quint,

— the Canton de Dieulefit except for the Municipalities of Comps, Orcinas, Teyssières and Vesc,

— the Canton de Nyons except for the Municipalities of Arpavon, Chaudebonne, Eyroles and Valouse,

— the Canton de Rémuzat except for the Municipalities of la-Charce, Chauvac-Laux-Montaux, Cornillac, Cornillon-sur-l’Oule, Lemps, Montferrand-la-Fare, Pelonne, Poët-Sigillat, Pommerol, Roussieux, Saint-May and Verclause,

— the Canton de Saillans except for the Municipalities of la-Chaudière, Eygluy-Escoulin and Rimon-et-Savel,

— the Canton de Saint Jean en Royans except for the Municipalities of Bouvante and Léoncel.

In most of the production area, the surface of the land warms easily and dries without problems.

All the municipalities in the area lie at an average altitude of below 500 m. Only three of the municipalities included lie above 500 m but these enjoy a microclimate caused by the favourable exposure of the land:

— Poët-Celard (547 m) in the Canton of Bourdeaux,

— Gigors and Lozeron (585 m) in the Canton of Crest-Nord,

— Montréal les Sources (605 m) in the Canton of Rémuzat.

The guinea fowl are reared in the geographical area from one-day old until they are sent for slaughter.

The birds may be hatched, slaughtered and packed outside the PGI area.

4.4. Proof of origin:

All the links in the production chain are registered (hatcheries, feed manufacturers, poultry keepers, slaughterhouses).

Documentary records are kept for each batch of birds: setting declaration by the hatchery, delivery slips for day-old chicks, declaration of departure for the slaughterhouse and slips for collection of carcases from the slaughterhouse, declaration of the labels used for the poultry after slaughter and declaration of downgraded poultry. All labels are numbered. An individually numbered label, a sticker (bearing the approval number of the slaughterhouse and pre-perforated into three parts preventing its removal in one piece) and/or a label bearing the use-by date and the health stamp or the name of the slaughterhouse are affixed to the carcase. Checks on the consistency of this information ensure the product’s traceability.

4.5. Method of production:

The rearing method used for ‘Pintadeau de la Drôme’ involves:

— the use of slow-growing strains, the result of crosses between several strains, the individual birds of which share a particular characteristic, a phenotype, an organoleptic property and originate in Drôme,

— a maximum housing density of 13 birds/m2 with access from six to eight weeks, depending on the season, to an aviary with a floor area of at least double that of the housing and a height of more than two metres with free access from 9 am to dusk,

— exclusively plant, mineral and vitamin feed comprising a minimum of 70 % cereals during the growth and finishing phases and finishing with grape pips from the tenth week, either distributed by hand or in hoppers of a maximum of 250 kg per building of 400 m2,

— slaughter at between 87 days and 100 days,

— grading of carcases at the slaughterhouse (selection of carcases with a fine skin, not too much fat cover, with no added water, of at least ‘A’ class and a minimum weight of 850 g eviscerated without giblets and 1 100 g partially eviscerated).

All stages of the production process take place within the geographical area except for hatching, slaughtering and packing, which may take place outside.

4.6. Link:

The link with the geographical origin is based on:

A historical reputation

The rearing of young guinea fowl began in the region at the end of the nineteenth century. The birds are reared in small flocks on a large number of holdings in Drôme and sent to the cities of the south-east, where their culinary properties are highly appreciated.

Experts appointed by the Valence (Drôme) Regional Court in 1969 concluded that young guinea fowl had been reared in Drôme since time immemorial. The birds were commonly sold between the wars and probably well before the First World War. Wholesalers’ invoices from the 1930s give an idea of the size of the market.

Current reputation

The award of an appellation d’origine garantie (guaranteed designation of origin) to ‘Pintadeau de la Drôme’ by the Valence (Drôme) Regional Court in 1969 confirmed this ancient reputation.

‘Pintadeau de la Drôme’ plays an important role in the local cuisine and is particularly prized by the region’s top restaurants.

Its fame is reflected in competitions such as the Concours Général Agricole, at which ‘Pintadeau de la Drôme’ won the bronze medal in 1996, or tasting events involving large numbers of participants, such as that organised in Brussels in 1993 attended by more than 1 500 professionals.

Today ‘Pintadeau de la Drôme’ is much sought after by the consumer and features on the menus of the region’s restaurants. As the guide Promenade gourmande en Drôme — une table et un terroir points out, the product is considered to be one of the region’s quality, native products.

This current reputation is confirmed by an awareness study carried out in December 2005 on the initiative of the Syndicat de défense du pintadeau de la Drôme:

— 75 % to 85 % of consumers have heard of ‘Pintadeau de la Drôme’,

— the product is known to and has a good reputation among distributors and consumers of guinea fowl in the Rhône-Alpes Region and particularly in the area of Lyon.

Other special characteristics

Poultry farming has always played an important role in the agricultural sector in Drôme, where holdings were originally not at all specialised. Since the 1960s, holdings have moved towards concentrating on particular types of farming and this has affected the rearing of ‘Pintadeau de la Drôme’. The poultry housing used today is designed specially for the production of ‘Pintadeau de le Drôme’, with aviaries adapted to local practices.

It should be noted that this system of a run and an aviary is not found in any other of the regions in which young guinea fowl are reared.

The farmers who rear ‘Pintadeau de la Drôme’ use methods specific to the region, based on:

— the use of strains specific to the area: ‘Pintadeau de la Drôme’ has a well-established pedigree, being the result of crosses between several slow-growing strains, the individual birds of which share the characteristic of originating in Drôme,

— a favourable climate and a system of poultry-breeding that is specific to the region: the production area of ‘Pintadeau de la Drôme’ is clearly defined and comprises the best exposed land with the most permeable soils. Drôme’s sunny climate promotes the development of the birds and encourages them to move out into the aviary. This system of poultry farming, which approximates to the natural habits of the guinea fowl, allows the birds great freedom in the sunshine and wind of the Drôme Valley. The ‘Pintadeau de la Drôme’ thus benefits from exercise in the open air, which has a direct influence on the characteristic dark pigmentation of its skin and flesh and its fat cover,

— feed with a link to the area: cereals and cereal products make up the bulk of the birds’ feed ration (70 % during the growth and finishing phases). These are mainly produced in Drôme (maize, wheat, barley, etc.).

From the tenth week, grape pips are included in the feed ration. It was an old practice in the region to give poultry marc from the presses and distillation pulp, as most farms in Drôme used to produce their own wine for family consumption. The sources all report that marc from the presses and distillation pulp was given to poultry and that the young guinea fowl loved the grape pips.

This ancient, traditional practice is still used today and, although the grape pips no longer come directly from the farm, their use as feed during the finishing phase helps give ‘Pintadeau de la Drôme’ its specific character.

This dietary intake during the finishing phase in line with ancestral practices in the region brings improvements to the taste of the bird that have been confirmed by organoleptic tests, i.e.: the meat takes on more of the properties of that of a wild fowl, being more strongly flavoured, firmer and more fibrous.

4.7. Inspection body:

Name: Qualité-France SA Address: Le Guillaumet 60 Avenue du Général De Gaulle 92046 Paris La Defense Cedex FRANCE Tel. +33 141970074 Fax +33 141970832 E-mail: —

4.8. Labelling:

Labels must bear the words ‘Pintadeau de la Drôme’.

Reference to publication of the specification:

http://www.inao.gouv.fr/repository/editeur/pdf/CDCIGP/CDCPintadeauDeLaDrome.pdf