EN Official Journal of the European Union C 76/36

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 76/17

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

‘JAMBON DE L’ARDÈCHE’

EC No: FR-PGI-0005-0595-10.04.2007

PGI ( X ) PDO ( )

1. Name:

‘Jambon de l’Ardèche’

2. Member State or third country:

France

3. Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff:

3.1. Type of product:

Class 1.2. Meat products (cooked, salted, smoked, etc.)

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

General description:

Jambon de l’Ardèche is a dry-cured product. It is a noble product which comes from the hind leg of a pig, weighing a minimum of 8,5 kg when fresh, and is prepared and spiral-sliced before being rubbed by hand with salt mixed with saltpetre, pepper and spices, rested and then matured and ripened for at least seven months.

Jambon de l’Ardèche is round at the base and extends progressively to the foot which is disjointed beforehand (detached at the joint). The aitchbone is cut straight, parallel to the axis of the ham, at a distance of 2 cm from the head of the femur, which has been freed. The inner face of the ham is uncovered down to the bottom.

Curing and ripening:

Jambon de l’Ardèche is cured in several stages. The ham is coated during ripening. This involves coating the uncovered, lean face with a mixture of lard (the coating), spices and chestnut flour from the Ardèche.

The age of jambon de l’Ardèche is counted from the first day of salting when it comes out of the drying room. It is aged for a minimum of seven, nine or 12 months. The minimum dry weight of the ham, on the bone, is 6 kg.

The older the ham, the more developed its organoleptic qualities and in particular its flavour. Also, with time, water loss increases and the meat becomes firmer. In order to optimise the balance between flavour and texture, the minimum dry weight in relation to age must be determined.

Age of the dry-cured ham Weight of the dry-cured ham 7 months ≥ 6 kg 9 months ≥ 6,7 kg 12 months ≥ 7,3 kg

The length of the ripening phase is indicated for the consumer on the label of jambon de l’Ardèche.

Smoking; an optional stage:

The dry-cured ham can also be lightly smoked once it is ready. This optional process is carried out dry in a smoke generator with chestnut wood only. This emphasises the traditional appearance of the ham.

In this case the label contains the information ‘dry-smoked with chestnut wood’.

Organoleptic properties:

Jambon de l’Ardèche is characterised by a supple and pleasant texture, which is slightly firmer on the surface.

Slicing it reveals dark red, bordeaux-coloured lean meat, which can be lightly marbled and can be covered with a layer of white fat. The thickness of this fat layer (1 to 2 cm) can vary depending on the size of the ham.

Jambon de l’Ardèche is characterised by a strong, lightly salted and spiced, meaty flavour. Its flavour and odour assert themselves over a long ripening period. They combine a light scent of chestnuts spread right to the heart of the ham with the coating process. They exhibit the richness of the typical aromas of dry-cured mountain ham.

Physico-chemical characteristics:

The physico-chemical characteristics of the product once it is ready to be marketed must respect the legal values.

Also, the aw of the dry product must not exceed 0,91.

Presentation of the product:

After ripening, jambon de l’Ardèche can be presented:

Whole, on the bone: without the foot, which was disjointed when the ham was fresh.

Whole off the bone: Slit, boned, then sewn up and pressed into a mould (ham moulding process).

The product can be marketed in different forms:

— whole ham, on the bone, bare or packaged in a cotton cloth (muslin),

— whole ham, boned, moulded, vacuum packed,

— ½ or ¼ ham, boned, vacuum packed,

— whole ham, boned, rindless, trimmed, moulded and vacuum-packed,

— ½ or ¼ ham, boned, rindless, trimmed, moulded and vacuum-packed,

— slices of ham on a vacuum packed tray or packaged appropriately in a controlled atmosphere.

However it is presented, jambon de l’Ardèche exhibits the same distinctive signs and has been selected in the same way.

3.3. Raw materials:

The raw material comes from domestic pigs, both standard-weight and heavy-weight, according to the following conditions:

Only hams that are fresh and originate from the EU (animals born, raised and slaughtered in the European Union) are authorised for ‘jambon de l’Ardèche’.

The meat must respect the minimum criteria below: — for standard-weight pigs: — hot carcass weight at slaughter is between 72 and 89 kg — the minimum age for slaughter is 172 days — the muscle ratio is between 53 % and 63 % — for heavy-weight pigs: — hot carcass weight is greater than or equal to 90 kg — the average age for slaughter is 182 days — the muscle ratio is between 53 % and 63 %

All pigs (standard-weight pigs and heavy-weight pigs) must also meet certain requirements: — genetics: — the pigs are the descendants of pigs from pig selection bodies or certified artificial insemination centres, — In other cases, the ratio of standard-weight pigs that are sensitive to halothane is < 3 % and the animals are unharmed by the RN- allele (no occurrences).

The ham used cannot have a fresh weight of less that 8,5 kg after carving and spiral slicing.

Hams that look flawed (abscess, soft and oily fat, exudative meat, exogenous substances, fractures, etc.) are filtered out. Furthermore, the fat must be white. The hams must not show depilation flaws, ripped or burnt rinds, blood spots or any type of bruising, fractures or abscesses. These flaws in appearance must be limited to 5 % of hams showing one or more flaws.

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

All pigs (standard-weight pigs and heavy-weight pigs) must also meet certain feed conditions:

— a minimum of 60 % of the pigs’ feed consists of cereals and cereal-based products,

— it is forbidden to use artificial additives containing growth factor during the animal's entire life.

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

The production steps from salting to ripening the ham (salting, brushing, washing, resting or maturing, drying, ripening), and smoking after production if relevant, must be carried out in the geographical area of the PGI as they are steps that determine the specificity of the product.

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

Not applicable

3.7. Specific rules concerning labelling:

— Name under which product is sold: Jambon de l’Ardèche

— Length of the ripening period (seven, nine or 12 months)

— Where relevant ‘smoked with chestnut wood’

— PGI logo

— With the wording ‘Protected Geographical Indication’

4. Concise definition of the geographical area:

The geographical area is located in south-east France in the Rhône-Alpes region.

It is limited to the 212 municipalities in the Ardèche department that are situated in a mountain area defined by Law 8530 of 9 January 1985, updated by the bylaw of 28 May 1997.

Its eastern border is formed by the eastern side of the Massif Central and it stretches to the west over the Viverais mountains, Boutières and Montagne Ardèchoise with the Coiron massif (excluding its southern face) at the centre, and more to the south the Tarnargue massif, and the Vivarais Cévénol ledge right to the far south: Accons, Aizac, Ajoux, Albon, Alboussière, Alissas, Annonay, Antraigues sur Volane, Arcens, Arlebosc, Asperjoc, Astet, Aubignais, Barnas, Béage, Beaumont, Beauvene, Berzeme, Boffres, Borée, Borne, Bosas, Boucieu le roi, Boulieu les Annonay, Burzet, Cellier du luc, Chalencon, Chambon, Champis, Chaneac, Chassiers, Chateauneuf de Vernoux, Chazeaux, Le Cheylard, Chirols, Colombier le Jeune, Colombier le Vieux, Coucouron, Coux, Le Crestet, Creysseilles, Cros de Georand, Darbres, Desaignes, Devesset, Dompnac, Dornas, Dunières sur Eyrieux, Empurany, Fabras, Faugeres, Flaviac, Freyssenet, Genestelle, Gilhac et Bauzac, Gilhoc sur Ormèze, Gluiras, Gourdot, Gravières, Intres, Issamoulenc, Issanlas, Issarlès, Jaujac, Jaunac, Joannas, Juvinas, Labastide de Juvinas, Labatie d’Andaure, Laboule, Lac d’Issarlès, Lachamp Raphaël, La Chapelle Graillouse, La chapelle sous chanéac, Lafarre, Lalevade d’Ardèche, Lalouvesc, Lamastre, Lanarce, Laval d’Aurelle, Laveyrune, Lavillatte, Laviolle, Lentilleres, Lesperon, Loubaresse, Lyas, Malarce sur la Thines, Malbosc, Marcols les eaux, Mariac, Mars, Mayres, Mazais l’abbaye, Meyrac, Mezilhac, Mirabelle, Monestier, Montpezat sous bauzon, Montselgues, Nonières, Nozières, Ollières sur Eyrieux, Pailharès, Payzac, Pereyres, Plagnac, Planzolles, Plats, Pont de la beaume, Pourcheres, Prades, Pranles, Preaux, Privas, Prunet, Ribes, Rochepaule, Rocher, Rochessauve, Rochette, Rocles, Roiffieux, Roux, Sablières, Sagnes et Coudoulet, Saint Agrève, Saint Alban d’Ay, Saint Alban en Montagne, Saint Andéol de Fourchades, Saint Andéol de Vals, Saint André en Vivarais, Saint André Lachamp, Saint Apollinaire de Rias, Saint Barthélémy le Meil, Saint Barthélémy le Pin, Saint Barthélémy le Plain, Saint Basile, Saint Bauzile, Saint Christol, Saint Cierge la Serre, Saint Cierge sous le Cheylard, Saint Cirgues de Prades, Saint Cirgues en Montagne, Saint Clément, Saint Etienne de Boulogne, Saint Etienne de Lugdarès, Saint Etienne de Serre, Sainte Eulalie, Saint Félicien, Saint Fortunat sur Eyrieux, Saint Genes Lachamp, Saint Gineis en Coiron, Saint Jean Chambre, Saint Jean le Centenier, Saint Jean Roure, Saint Jeure d’Andaure, Saint Joseph des Baucs, Saint Julien Boutières, Saint Julien de Serre, Saint Julien du Gua, Saint Julien Labrousse, Saint Julien Vocance, Saint Laurent du Pape, Saint Laurent Les Bains, Saint Laurent sous coiron, Saint Marcel les Annonay, Sainte Marguerite la Figère, Saint Martial, Saint Martin de Valamas, Saint Martin sur Lauezon, Saint Maurice en Chalencon, Saint Melany, Saint Michel d’Aurance, Saint Michel de Boulogne, Saint Michel de Chabrillanoux, Saint Pierre de Colombier, Saint Pierre Laroche, Saint Pierre Saint Jean, Saint Pierre sur Doux, Saint Pierreville, Saint Pons, Saint Priest, Saint Prix, Saint Romain de Lerps, Saint Sauveur de Montagut, Saint Sylvestre, Saint Symphorien de Mahun, Saint Victor, Saint Vincent de Durfort, Salleles, Sanilhac, Satillieu, Savas, Sceautres, Silhac, Souche, Tauriers, Thuets, Toulaud, Usclades et Rieutord, Valgorge, Vals les Bains, Vanosc, Les Vans, Vaudevant, Vernon, Vernoux en Vivarais, Vesseaux, Veyras, Villevocance, Vocance.

5. Link with the geographical area:

5.1. Specificity of the geographical area:

The geographical area consists of mountains and highland areas with uneven terrain that are often windswept.

Its eastern border is formed by the eastern side of the Massif Central and it stretches to the west over the Viverais mountains, Boutières and Montagne Ardèchoise with the Coiron massif (excluding its southern face) at the centre, and more to the south the Tarnargue massif, and the Vivarais Cévénol ledge arriving in the far south of Vans and Malbosc.

The altitude varies from an average of 500 metres to 1 700 metres. This area is wooded to the north and the centre with fir trees and chestnut trees. To the south the vegetation tends to consist more of bushes and shrubs. The climate is continental to semi-continental: cold and dry at altitude with harsh winters and short, sunny summers.

To respect the length of the ripening process with suitable air and temperature conditions, ham production used to be located in mountain areas where these conditions were all present for most of the year.

Ripening in mountain areas has continued and remains a strong characteristic of ham production today, as have using chestnut flour from the Ardèche during the coating process and if the ham is to be smoked, using only chestnut wood that is very present locally since the Ardèche is the largest producer of chestnuts in France (50 % of national production).

Today, the geographical area is still characterised by a strong presence of small and medium-sized curing enterprises that have often been in business for more than one hundred years and have passed on their history and savoir faire over the centuries and generations in an areas where the geographical and climatic conditions were favourable for them.

5.2. Specificity of the product:

The specificity of jambon de l’Ardèche is based on both the long reputation of this product and of salt meats from the Ardèche in general, and the specific savoir faire that guarantees the best expression of the aroma and taste specificities of the product.

The reputation of jambon de l’Ardèche:

Jambons de l’Ardèche have built their reputation up over the centuries. From as far back as the 16th century there are references to traditional pig killing rituals, real festive traditions that made it possible to live through the winter from the carcasses, all of which can be used down to the smallest detail. At that time, black pudding, bacon, chitterlings and sausages were prepared according to regional traditions in countries abundant in chestnuts, bacon joints and hams were hung near chestnuts when they were dried in smoke to whiten them. Farms were transformed into real larders. In his books about travel in Haut Vivarais, Mazon marvelled at the ‘ceilings decorated with bacon, hock, trotters and strings of sausages’.

This legacy lives on and each generation has been able to make its contribution and to pass on its demands and savoir faire.

So it is at the heart of this land and these mountains rich in history, tradition and savoir faire that the jambon de l’Ardèche’s reputation was built and relayed to his native Vivarais by Olivier de Serres, father of French agriculture from the 16th century, who explained in his books how to produce ham, by Charles Forot, the famous poet from the Ardèche, and by Curnonsky, who christened the Ardèche ‘a gourmet’s paradise’ and a small village in the Ardèche ‘the Mecca of cold meat’.

From the XX century with the development of food tourism, jambon de l’Ardèche has been recognised as a traditional local product belonging to French culinary heritage. It is famous in France, Europe and beyond.

The savoir faire used in its preparation:

In the Ardèche there has been a real pig culture anchored in tradition since the 16th century. The recipe corresponds to the old savoir faire and allows the jambon de l’Ardèche to reach its full physiological maturity and the best expression of its taste by the end of the ripening phase.

This recipe requires the meticulous selection of raw materials, salting by hand with salt, coating with local chestnut flour and ripening for at least seven months depending on the weight of the ham.

The only cut of meat used for jambon de l’Ardèche is the fresh hind leg of a pig. The quality of the fresh meat, in particular the quality of the lean meat and of the fat, is guaranteed by sorting the hams meticulously and also by the criteria relating to the raw material (traditional cereal-based feed, genetic criteria, slaughter age and weight of the carcass, ratio of lean meat). Once it has been selected, the ham is salted by rubbing it by hand with salt, mixed with saltpetre, pepper and spices. The only additive allowed is saltpetre. The ham then goes through a compulsory maturation phase before going into the drying room.

During the ripening phase, the ham is coated with a mixture of lard, spices and chestnut flour from the Ardèche. The weight of the dry-cured ham on the bone is related to its age, which can be either seven, nine or 12 months, when it comes out of the ripening phase.

The ham can also be smoked but this is optional. It is done in a smoking room with chestnut wood used in a smoke generator. It is forbidden to use smoke aroma.

Specific quality: visual, aromatic and taste characteristics.

Jambon de l’Ardèche is the product of carefully selected raw materials and a traditional and specific recipe, which give it its special characteristics.

Jambon de l’Ardèche is characterised by a supple and pleasant texture, which is slightly firmer on the surface, even though it is softened by the effect of the coating.

Slicing it reveals bordeaux-coloured lean meat, which can be lightly marbled and have a layer of white fat. The thickness of this fat layer (1 to 2 cm) can vary depending on the size of the ham. Its odour shows the richness of aroma that is typical of dry-cured mountain ham after lengthy ripening.

The coating adds a light chestnut scent spread to the heart of the ham to a pronounced meaty taste, lightly salted and spiced with hints of hazelnut.

Smoking with chestnut wood, when it is done, emphasizes the traditional appearance of the ham.

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 Ardèche has been famous for centuries for its various cured pork products, in particular for its hams, which are dry-cured hams. The mountain areas in the Ardèche bring together all the natural conditions (temperature, hygrometry, wind) that are favourable for the production of cured meat and ripening in a natural environment.

This traditional production has made it possible to use savoir faire to produce dry-cured hams. Today there is a strong influence in the choice and the quality of the meat used and in the traditional production methods that shows this savoir faire specific to the region: salting by rubbing by hand with salt and coating by hand with chestnut flour from the Ardèche. Jambon de l’Ardèche requires a particularly long drying time and has always been heavily linked to its environment. Ripening in mountain areas has continued and remains a strong characteristic of the production of jambon de l’Ardèche.

Traditionally those who dry-cured meat used chestnut wood, which was readily available in mountain areas. Chestnut trees have always covered vast tracts of mountain areas in the Ardèche and are a tree crop, the Ardèche being the largest producer of chestnuts in France, with more than 50 % of the national harvest. Naturally, chestnut flour is then used by meat curers as a main ingredient in the coating for the lean parts of the ham.

To emphasize the traditional appearance of the ham, only chestnut wood can be used to dry-smoke the ham.

Reference to publication of the specification:

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

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