Publication of an application for registration of a name 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

(2019/C 256/06)

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) within three months from the date of this publication.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘OLIO DI PUGLIA’

EU No: PGI-IT-02381-22.12.2017

PDO ( ) PGI ( X )

1. Name(s)

‘Olio di Puglia’

2. Member State or Third Country

Italy

3. Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1. Type of product

Class 1.5. Oils and fats (butter, margarine, oil, etc.)

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

The oil's pronounced fruity bouquet of olive varies in intensity and includes clear green notes reminiscent of freshly mown grass and/or leaves, fresh almonds and/or artichoke.

On the palate the oil tastes very green, with bitter and pungent notes of varying intensity, that may be accompanied by notes of green almond and/or cardoon, with an aftertaste of grass, artichoke, other vegetables and hints of fresh almonds.

Upon certification, ‘Olio di Puglia’ Protected Geographical Indication extra virgin olive oil must comply with the criteria listed below:

— Colour: from green to straw yellow, depending on the age of the oil.

— Organoleptic characteristics: Descriptor Median Olive fruitiness 2 - 8 Bitter 2 - 7 Pungent 2 - 7

— Chemical properties: Acidity (%): ≤ 0,40 Peroxide value (mEq O2/kg): ≤ 10 mEq O2/kg, Ethyl esters: ≤ 20 Total biophenols: ≥ 300 mg/kg, of which bioactive phenols ≥ 250 mg/kg*;

The above quality parameters and those that are not specifically mentioned must in any case comply with the relevant EU legislation in force regarding extra virgin olive oil.

A 20 % tolerance applies to the acidity and peroxide values.

3.3. Feed (for products of animal origin only) and raw materials (for processed products only)

‘Olio di Puglia’ Protected Geographical Indication consists exclusively of extra virgin olive oil produced from olives from the following national cultivars that are widespread in the region: Cellina di Nardò, Cima di Bitonto (or Ogliarola Barese/Ogliarola Garganica), Cima di Melfi, Frantoio, Ogliarola salentina (or Cima di Mola), Coratina, Favolosa (or Fs-17), Leccino, Peranzana, which, alone or in combination, must account for least 70 % of the trees planted in the olive groves. The total of other varieties present may not exceed 30 %.

3.4. Specific steps in production that must take place in the defined geographical area

All the steps in the production process, namely the cultivation, harvesting and oil extraction, must take place within the defined geographical area.

3.5. Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc. of the product to which the registered name refers

Storage, bottling and packaging must take place within the defined geographical area (the production area) by 31 October in the year following the year of production.

Storage is a phase in the production process intended to protect the product from any alteration in the chemical, organoleptic and health properties described in point 3.2.

Bottling and packaging must take place in the defined geographical area both to preserve the quality and especially the signature characteristics of PGI ‘Olio di Puglia’ which can be gauged by its biophenol concentration, but most of all in order to ensure that the product is genuine, that its origin can be traced and that this can be verified. The reasons for this are set out below:

— The duration for which the product is transported in the tank truck exposes the oil to temperatures above those of the storage areas. Obviously the longer the journey, the greater the exposure, and the problem is exacerbated by the mechanical disturbance caused by transport (vibrations). To limit the risk of deterioration of the oil's chemical and organoleptic characteristics, the product needs to be definitively packaged in smaller quantities through bottling prior to transport.

— Apulia has to cope with the problem of countless counterfeit products and instances of fraud, as brought to light in Italy's 2018 Report by the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policy and Tourism's Department of Central Inspectorate for Fraud Repression and Quality Protection of the Agri-Food Products and Foodstuffs (ICQRF). This report states that 50 % of such fraud concerns Apulian olive oil, which is not just famous for its excellent quality, but sadly also infamous on account of the all-too-frequent criminal investigations into counterfeit Apulian olive oil, (in 2012 alone, the Siena Guardia di Finanza financial police seized 7 722 tonnes of counterfeit Apulian olive oil in bulk).

‘Olio di Puglia’ Protected Geographical Indication extra virgin olive oil must be packaged for release for consumption in containers suitable for properly conserving the product and of a maximum capacity of 5 litres, that are sealed and labelled. For sales to the hotel, restaurant and catering industry, ‘Olio di Puglia’ extra virgin olive oil may be packaged in larger containers.

3.6. Specific rules concerning labelling of the product to which the registered name refers

It is forbidden to add any qualifying terms to the ‘Olio di Puglia’ Protected Geographical Indication that is not expressly provided for in this product specification, including the following adjectives: ‘fine’ (fine), ‘scelto’ (choice), ‘selezionato’ (selected) or ‘superiore’ (superior). True and verifiable references describing the methods of individual producers or the production techniques are permitted, such as: ‘monovarietale’ (single variety), ‘raccolto a mano’ (hand-picked), etc., subject to the prior authorisation of the control body.

Names, business names, brand names and/or public labels etc. may be used truthfully, provided they have no laudatory purport and are not such as to mislead the consumer.

The use of names of holdings, farms, estates and their geographical location, as well as references to packaging on the olive-production holding or on premises of the association of olive-production holdings located in the production area is permitted only if at least 51 % or more of the product has been obtained predominantly from olives harvested in groves belonging to the holding in question.

The name of the Protected Geographical Indication ‘Puglia’ must appear on the label in distinct and indelible lettering so that it can be distinguished from all the other information provided.

The labelling must include the European PGI symbol and the logo of the PGI ‘Olio di Puglia’ shown below:

The label must specify the year the olives were harvested, in the form of the month and the year of the harvest with the month when the olives were pressed, and the batch number and packaging date. Furthermore, it must specify that the maximum shelf life is within 20 months of the date of packaging. Where applicable, it may be specified that the oil was produced organically.

4. Concise definition of the geographical area

The production area for ‘Olio di Puglia’ Protected Geographical Indication extra virgin olive oil comprises the entire administrative area of the Apulia Region.

5. Link with the geographical area

The request for recognition is based on both the quality characteristics and the reputation of ‘Olio di Puglia’.

Apulia is the easternmost region of Italy and its southern part is set in the Ionian and Adriatic Seas; it has a markedly Mediterranean, semi-arid climate.

Rainfall amounts on average to 600 mm annually, precipitation is irregular and approximately two-thirds is concentrated over the winter period, with occasional light snowfall caused by bursts of cold air from the north or north-east.

Southern winds are the most frequent in Apulia; the Scirocco or Libeccio winds blow in summer with the arrival of very hot air from Africa that causes rapid and marked temperature spikes. Temperatures generally remain very mild for most of the year, particularly on the coastal plains.

The karstic nature of much of Apulia and the scant rainfall makes the region particularly lacking in surface watercourses. Apulia does not have mountain barriers. Half the territory of Apulia is on the plain, at heights of no more than 100 metres above sea level. The hilly strip of the territory reaches altitudes of just over 680 metres. The particular features of olive growing in Apulia can be attributed to these very specific geographical, orographic, soil and climatic conditions that have proved to be exceptionally propitious for growing olives. The specific climatic variations described above, observed in the geographical area where olives are typically grown, is the factor of primary environmental importance during the olives' oil accumulation and ripening phases, and indeed critical for bringing about certain quality parameters, such as the oil's phenol and volatile compound content. The heat and water stress that occurs during the olives' oil accumulation phase (from August to September) triggers the synthesis of polyphenols that build up within the olives. Polyphenols form as a result of intense stress, such as lack of water and/or excessive heat and are used by the trees to counteract the production of free radicals. Autumn rainfall (October-November), meanwhile, promotes the synthesis of volatile compounds. This particular weather cycle in Apulia, i.e. hot and dry during the oil accumulation phase and cooler and damper during the ripening phase, is of key importance for determining the olives' concentration of polyphenols and subsequently of volatile compounds. The polyphenols provide the bitter and pungent taste and give the product its health value, which is a key quality characteristic that marks out ‘Olio di Puglia’ PGI with regard to the quality standard of products of the same type from outside the production area. The latter, on the other hand, are responsible for the green aromas, described in point 3.2, that are the olfactory signature of ‘Olio di Puglia’ PGI.

The interplay of these qualities combined with the olives' genotypes produces a unique phenotype. There is a wealth of scientific literature, starting from the early 1960s, attesting to the interaction between genotype and environment on the product's quality characteristics.

The main cultivars used are the most ancient varieties grown in the region, which are widespread throughout Apulia, albeit with some areas that are more specialised. Such cultivars produce an oil with specific chemical and sensory properties that are clearly distinctive and constitute a profile that is easily recognised by consumers.

Precisely thanks to this variability in conditions described above, the extra-virgin olive oil produced in Apulia has wide variations in colour, fruitiness, bitterness and pungency that, combined with the biophenol content (> 250 mg/kg upon certification) produced by stresses in terms of heat and water, typify the link with the defined geographical area.

It is therefore this aspect that is common to all olive oils from Apulia, which have bitterness and pungency values ranging between 2 and 7; these values are what makes it possible to distinguish ‘Olio di Puglia’ extra-virgin olive oil from extra-virgin olive oils produced outside the production area that do not meet the same quality standard.

Today, the bitter and pungent taste conferred by polyphenol molecules is considered a positive attribute, and is a useful marker for assessing the oil's freshness. Such molecules tend to oxidise over time, losing their characteristic taste and health-giving properties. The specifications of ‘Olio di Puglia’ PGI, designed to also make a feature of the product's ‘freshness’, require the year when the olives were harvested to be marked on the label.

The specific soil, climatic and geographical conditions also determine the oil's composition in terms of sterols, terpenes and volatile substances, particularly rich in hexanal, which gives the oils the scent of cut grass.

Farming techniques help to fix and develop such specificities, particularly during harvest and when managing irrigation.

The olives are usually harvested according to degree of pigmentation, which must be between 2 (more than 50 % of the epicarp is pigmented) and 5 (100 % of the mesocarp is pigmented), so before the polyphenol content drops significantly. Irrigation is mainly managed using dry farming techniques, and where irrigation is practised it is generally kept in deficit so as to preserve both the polyphenol and the volatile compound contents, thus fixing the green aromas that typify this oil. In any event, it should be pointed out that with the particular succession over time of climatic conditions in Apulia during the ripening of the olives, there is an interplay between the two farming techniques that determines first the accumulation of polyphenols and subsequently of volatile compounds, such that they comply with the values for the characteristics laid down in the current specifications. Lastly, it is the interplay of these farming and climatic factors, combined with the olives' genotypes that produces a unique phenotype.

How the olives are pressed also contributes to the uniqueness of ‘Olio di Puglia’. The region of Apulia actually counts over a thousand olive presses that are technologically well equipped and manned by staff who have access to appropriate and ongoing technical training, such as to ensure the best possible oil quality and the greatest possible expression of the oil's signature characteristics; it is the presence of polyphenol molecules and volatile compounds that produce the characteristics described in point 3.2.

The first evidence of olive cultivation discovered in Apulia dates back to the Neolithic period (5000 B.C.). Evidence of the trade in olive oil produced in Apulia, which bears witness to the product's quality, can be found in historical records dating from 1792 and throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. In more recent times, various invoices dating from the 1950s and 1960s through to the 1980s and to the end of the twentieth century, as well as commercial accounts referring to ‘Olio di Puglia’, attest to the oil's value and reputation.

Furthermore, there is ample evidence of the historic presence of trade in this product referred to in Italian as ‘Olio di Puglia’. Numerous public events, such as competitions, tastings, wine and food events, the establishment of olive oil routes, organised both at national and regional level, explicitly refer to ‘Olio di Puglia’. These include:

— The ‘Guide to extra virgin olive oil from Apulia’ that evokes the love story between Apulian cuisine and the olive oil from Apulia as the region's flagship food product. The publication testifies to the continued improvement in the quality of Apulian olive oil, and awards the accolade of ‘Premio Extra Top’ [Extra Top Prize] to the best Apulian oils.

— The 2018 Gambero Rosso Guide which, when awarding the ‘Tre Foglie’ prize, selected 17 olive oil producing companies from Apulia.

— The ‘Oro di Puglia’ - Apulia Gold Competition established in 2009, which is now celebrating its tenth anniversary with the participation of numerous firms that produce the best extra-virgin olive oils of Apulia.

— Furthermore, olive oil from Apulia features in major Fairs in Italy, such as Turin's Gourmet Food Festival and Verona's SOL and in International Fairs such as Fancy Food and New York's NYIOOC [New York International Olive Oil Competition].

— Lastly, countless initiatives, events and meetings are held locally (December 2013 SensAzioni del Sud in Conversano; November 2014 Pane e Olio [Bread and Olive oil] in Cassano delle Murge (Province of Bari); June 2017 Archeolio ciclotur [Archeolio cycle tour] in Avetrana (Province of Taranto); November 2017 Il Filo d'Olio [The Olive Oil Trail] in Ostuni (Province of Brindisi); May 2018 Puglia e Olio legame indissolubile… [Apulia and Olive Oil — an indissoluble bond] in Acaya (Province of Lecce); Olio di Puglia dialoghi fluidi [Fluid dialogues around Apuglia olive oil] Ostuni (BR)). These attest to the prestigious reputation of the product ‘Olio di Puglia’, which provides evidence not just of the intrinsic quality of one particular oil, but also of its ability to represent an entire geographical area, Apulia, with its history, tradition, landscape and culture.

Reference to publication of the specification

(the second subparagraph of Article 6(1) of this Regulation)

The full text of the product specification is available: 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 (www.politicheagricole.it) and clicking on ‘Qualità’ (at the top right of the screen), then on ‘Prodotti DOP IGP STG’ (on the left-hand side of the screen) and finally on ‘Disciplinari di Produzione all'esame dell'UE’.

(1) OJ L 343, 14.12.2012, p. 1.