EN Official Journal of the European Union C 312/19

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

2010/C 312/14

This publication confers the right to object to the application pursuant to Article 7 of Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 (1). Statements of objection must reach the Commission within six months from the date of this publication.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006

‘BŒUF DE VENDÉE’

EC No: FR-PGI-0005-0592-08.03.2007

PGI ( X ) PDO ( )

1. Name:

‘Bœuf de Vendée’

2. Member State or third country:

France

3. Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff:

3.1. Type of product:

Class 1.1: Fresh meat (and offal)

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

The animals in question are heifers, young cows or castrated males with a minimum carcass weight of 380 kg, conformation (S) EUR, degree of fat cover 2 or 3, and the age of which at slaughter must be between 30 and 96 months.

Animals selected to produce ‘Bœuf de Vendée’ are thoroughbred or crossbred beef breeds, or crossbreeds of mixed breed mothers with beef breed fathers.

The application relates to fresh meat sold in the form of carcasses, quarters or cuts.

‘Bœuf de Vendée’ meat is characterised by a pure red colour, a tender and soft texture and a refined and pleasant beef taste.

pH and temperature are measured 24 hours after slaughter, and must be below pH 6 and 6 °C respectively. The pH and temperature criteria are essential for beginning a long maturation period. If they are not complied with, the meat preserves badly and has an unpleasant taste.

Each ‘Bœuf de Vendée’ carcass or part-carcass is accompanied as far as the butcher's counter by a guarantee of origin certificate (Certificat de Garantie d’Origine, CGO) informing the consumer of the category to which the animal belongs: heifer, cow or castrated male.

3.3. Raw materials (for processed products only):

N.A.

3.4. Feed (for products of animal origin only):

Natural breastfeeding is mandatory from birth to weaning. Calves are weaned at between six and nine months. After weaning, the animals can graze in pastures depending on forage availability.

During the summer, use of supplements based on forage and concentrates is possible.

The origin of the forage is strictly regulated: at least 80 % comes from the holding, the rest must come from the PGI area. This has arisen as a result of local and traditional practices and as a result of the particular quality of vendéen forage. The gentle influence of the oceanic climate combined with very high levels of sunlight allows more forage to be harvested, at an earlier stage and of good quality in terms of energy and protein content. The supply of the most suitable forage for the requirements of ‘Bœuf de Vendée’ is thus guaranteed.

Cycles alternating between pastures and sheds are mandatory, and there must be a minimum of two in the lifecycle of the animal. The cycle is as follows: sheds in the winter and pastures in the summer from April to October. Time spent in pastures is equal to at least four months.

The annual average overall stocking rate must not be in excess of two livestock units per hectare of principal forage area (HASFP) for the animals, and forage areas reserved exclusively for breeding cattle.

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

Calving, rearing and fattening must take place on a single holding.

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

N.A.

3.7. Specific rules concerning labelling:

Product sold under the name ‘Bœuf de Vendée’. The PGI logo will appear on the label, as well as the words ‘Indication Géographique Protégée’. The category (castrated male, cow or heifer) must appear on the guarantee of origin certificates which accompany the carcass or cuts to the butcher's counter.

4. Concise definition of the geographical area:

The geographical area of ‘Bœuf de Vendée’ PGI comprises the whole of the Vendée department, as well as the small natural regions neighbouring the department which have very similar agricultural, geographical, historical, social and cultural characteristics.

The geographical area in question is as follows:

— department of Vendée in its entirety,

— department of Loire Atlantique, all the municipalities in the following cantons: Aigrefeuille, Bouaye, Bourgneuf en Retz, Clisson, Légé, Le Loroux Bottereau, Le Pellerin, Machecoul, Paimboeuf, Pornic, Rezé, Saint Père en Retz, Saint Philbert de Grand Lieu, Vallet, Vertou, Vertou-vignoble,

— department of Maine et Loire, all the municipalities in the following cantons: Beaupréau, Chalonnes sur Loire, Champtoceaux, Chemillé, Cholet, Cholet 1, Cholet 2, Cholet 3, Doué La Fontaine, Gennes, Les Ponts de Cé, Montfaucon, Montreuil Bellay, Montrevault, Saint Florent le Vieil, Thouarcé, Vihiers,

— department of Deux-Sèvres, all the municipalities in the following cantons: Cerisay, Coulonges, Mauléon, Moncoutant.

5. Link with geographical area:

5.1. Specificity of the geographical area:

(a) Natural factors

The Vendée benefits from particular climatic and geological conditions: its climate is characterised by a marked oceanic influence and an average annual sun exposure rate which, at 2 100 hours per year, is well above the national average, very conducive to forage production, and ensures that animals can graze in pastures for long periods. Forming the southern border of the Amorican Massif, the Vendée's geology is characterised by relatively deep, loamy soils, which are also very favourable for forage production.

(b) Agronomic factors

The Vendée is characterised in particular by its forage production capacity, as a result of its specific climate and geological conditions. The early rise in temperature, in late April to early May, as well as plenty of sun in spring, enable the production of wilted silage regularly comprising more than 30 % dry matter, and of early hay at the beginning of June with excellent nutritional qualities (energy and nitrogen content). The first yields of these annual forage crops are often in excess of five tonnes of dry matter per hectare. These same conditions also enable fodder maize to be planted in the spring under excellent conditions to ensure a good, regular crop. Lastly, as a result of its latitude, the Vendée regularly enjoys overall temperatures which are sufficient to ensure a good maturation of maize for silage, i.e. with a dry matter rate in excess of 33 % at harvest and a good grain content of over 50 %. Yields are regularly around 11 tonnes of dry matter per hectare for dry crops and 15 tonnes for irrigated crops.

This guaranteed production of a large yield of energy- and protein-rich crops is sufficient to meet animals’ requirements from birth to slaughter. It is this availability which has enabled the vendéen breeder-fattener system, characterised by extensive forage consumption, to develop better than elsewhere.

(c) Historical and human factors

‘Bœuf de Vendée’ has been part of the vendéen farmer's life since the earliest times. Among the first domestic species, it was first used for its meat and milk, then to pull carts.

‘Bœuf de Vendée’ formed part of the history of sharecropping, then of tenant farming, and was one of the basic components of all agricultural leases for the assessment of rents. Cattle rearing is thus an intrinsic part of vendéen agriculture. The expertise of vendéen farmers, and particularly their competence with the breeder-fattener system, constitute an essential element of the link between ‘Bœuf de Vendée’ and its origin, as described in paragraph 5.2(b).

The presence of ‘Bœuf de Vendée’ at the region's numerous fairs from the end of the 19th century resulted in trade connections developing with all the major consumer centres in western France, extending as far as Paris.

Intrinsically linked to the historical presence of the breeder-fattener cattle rearing system in the Vendée, the extensive network of abattoir facilities located very close to holdings is a specific feature of the Vendée.

5.2. Specificity of the product:

The specificity of the product is based on a quality determined by a particular expertise, as well as on the reputation of ‘Bœuf de Vendée’.

(a) A distinctive quality

‘Bœuf de Vendée’ takes the form after slaughter of very heavy and very homogenous carcasses, typical of the region. The carcasses are, on average, 120 kg heavier than those produced in all other beef-producing regions in France.

The animals are born, reared and fattened on a single holding in the PGI area. The finishing period for the animals is a minimum of four months, enabling optimum fat cover to be achieved: grades 2 and 3. The degree of fat cover is managed by appropriate dosage of the energy and protein supplies in feed rations during the finishing period, which lasts at least four months. To this end, each animal is graded depending on its degree of fat cover at the beginning of the finishing period. The animals are slaughtered when they reach grade 2 or 3.

Heavy carcasses (more than 450 kg on average) of at least 380 kg provide thick and tender cuts which are particularly sought after by traditional butchers and beef connoisseurs.

(b) Another characteristic: human expertise

Farmers’ expertise is an essential element of the link between ‘Bœuf de Vendée’ and its origin.

Systematically ensuring that control is retained over the entire production process from breeding to slaughter, breeder-fatteners typify the production systems which are so specific to the Vendée. ‘All animals born in the Vendée are fattened there’ is a common maxim. Cattle rearing is at the heart of an entire tradition in this area, giving rise to a technique which is now known and revered well beyond France's borders. The vendéen system is thus characterised by the fattening of animals on the holding on which they were born with forage produced on that holding. Today, a vendéen breeder-fattener holding comprises an average of 60 suckler cows over 70 ha.

Combining the breeding and fattening processes on the same site offers technical, sanitary, economic and commercial advantages, which have beneficial repercussions on the quality of the finished product.

Farmers exclusively use animals bred from beef breeds (sucklers) or from beef breed crossbreeds. These animals would in no way fulfil their potential without an abundant supply of high-quality (energy and nitrogen content) feedstuffs. The climate and soil quality guarantee a high quantity and quality of forage with extensive autonomy on the part of holdings. Farmers’ expertise in producing forage and cereals, combining them depending on their nutritional value and the physiological development of the animals, from birth to slaughter, is the embodiment of the ‘Bœuf de Vendée’ technique.

Calves are raised on their mothers’ milk until they are weaned at around eight months. Thereafter, for at least two years, they follow a cycle where the winter is spent in sheds and the summer from April to November in pastures. Food rations essentially comprise pasture grass and roughage. The finishing period is spent either grazing or trough-fed.

Depending on the condition of the animal at the beginning of the fattening period, the farmer chooses a feed duration and method which will result in the best possible product, with the desired, but not an excessive, level of fat. Every fortnight, the farmer examines the animal to assess the progress of the process and, ultimately, to decide on the optimum slaughter date.

The breeder-fattener system used in the region is a local practice which results in high carcass weights and an optimum carcass result in terms of fat quantity.

(c) Reputation

In 1878, the Batiot brothers introduced the Charolais breed to the Vendée for its beneficial impact on carcass quality and haulage capacity. The development of the cities of Nantes, Angers and Paris created a trade network and the reputation of the ‘Vendée fattening technique’ significantly improved the reputation of this beef breed.

With more than 167 000 suckler cows, the Vendée is one of Europe's three leading production regions. In France, the Vendée is now the leading beef-producing department. The Vendée alone accounts for more than 5 % of national production with less than 1 % of agricultural surface area.

Artisanal butchers, veritable connoisseurs, choose this type of product to satisfy their most demanding customers. This type of carcass provides them with tender, juicy, thick and flavoursome pieces (particularly rib and fore-rib) for the enjoyment of their customers.

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 combination of all the natural, climatic and agronomic characteristics of the Vendée resulting in an abundant and high-quality forage production, combined with the expertise of farmers, gives rise to the production of heavy carcasses, which are the great speciality of the Vendée.

The specificity of the product in relation to its geographical origin lies in the combination of the agronomic, soil and climatic conditions which characterise the Vendée. These characteristics enable full advantage to be taken of the pastures, as suckler herds can graze until calves are weaned at eight months, and also enable the cultivation of forage and cereals which are high in energy and protein in deep, loamy soils thanks to a sunny and warm climate favourable to the photosynthesis required for full maturity of grasses and forage maize in particular. This abundant supply of forage and its high quality constitutes the specific feature of the feeding of ‘Bœuf de Vendée’, and, combined with the selection by vendéen farmers of the best animals, slaughtered in abattoirs close to holdings, results in the production of heavy carcases with an optimum degree of fat cover.

The tender, juicy and flavoursome meat of ‘Bœuf de Vendée’ is obtained as a result of the attention devoted to each production stage.

Drawing on their expertise, farmers select females or castrated males. Uncastrated males and young bovines are excluded, as well as all animals which are less than 30 months old. The fattening of the animals over a relatively long period is conducive to the development of fat infiltrations in muscular tissues (intramuscular fat) which give the meat its marbled character and prevent it from drying out during cooking, unlike ‘dry’ lean meats. The tender, juicy and melt-in-the-mouth nature of the meat is obtained in this way.

After slaughter, only the best carcasses are selected for the ‘Bœuf de Vendée’ scheme. Carcass quality, degree of fat cover and meat colour are examined (visual and manual inspection) by a registered inspector. This selection stage is an essential step in ensuring that a tender, juicy and flavoursome meat is obtained. Carcasses which meet all the criteria are eligible as ‘Bœuf de Vendée’, and a guarantee of origin certificate is issued.

The minimum maturation time of 10 days guarantees the tenderness of the meat.

These important criteria are decisive for artisanal butchers and consumers. They are the basis on which ‘Bœuf de Vendée’ has acquired a solid reputation among the beef products available in the region.

As a result of the tender, juicy and flavoursome nature of ‘Bœuf de Vendée’, butchers and consumers consistently source regular supplies from the scheme's distributors. This loyalty is borne out in statistical terms: 60 % of the group's outlets have remain unchanged since the scheme was launched in the early 2000s.

‘Bœuf de Vendée’ is therefore a veritable chain of expertise where the success of all stages is indispensable: production (forage production, rearing and selection), slaughter, cutting process and distribution, in the service of quality and in testament to its origins.

Reference to publication of the specification:

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

http://www.inao.gouv.fr/repository/editeur/pdf/CDC-IGP/boeuf-de-vendee.pdf

(1) OJ L 93, 31.3.2006, p. 12.