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

(2020/C 270/06)

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

‘MİLAS ZEYTİNYAĞI’

EU No: PDO-TR-02379 – 13.11.2017

PDO (X) PGI ()

1. Name(s) [of PDO or PGI]

‘Milas Zeytinyağı’

2. Member State or Third Country

Turkey

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 the product to which the name in (1) applies

‘Milas Zeytinyağı’ is an extra virgin olive oil produced exclusively from ‘Memecik’ variety olives grown in Milas province. The olive oil is produced with mechanical processes only.

— The oil has dark green/yellow color and pungent fruity smell

— The aroma of the olive oil is reminiscent of grass and the flavour is characterized by capsicum and black pepper tastes.

— α- tocopherol: At least 100 mg/kg of oil

— Total Phenolic Content: At least 100 mg/kg

— The amount of free fatty acid as oleic acid in Milas Zeytinyağı is below 0,7 % in terms of oleic acid.

— The average peroxide value for Milas Zeytinyağı is 4,5 meq active oxygen/kg of oil with a maximum of 20 meq active oxygen/kg of oil.

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

‘Milas Zeytinyağı’ is produced exclusively from olives, specifically Memecik variety, grown in the specified geographical area. Any other varieties other than Memecik mixed in during harvest may not exceed 5 %.

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

Operations related to the production of the raw material and its processing must be undertaken within the defined geographical area.

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

—

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

In addition to the compulsory information provided for by legislation on the labelling and presentation of foodstuffs, labels must include the following:

— The name of the designation ‘Milas Zeytinyağı’,

— Trade name and address or short name and address or registered mark of the producer,

— European Union PDO logo

— The following logo

— Official hologram of authenticity

4. Concise definition of the geographical area

The protected area refers to all the villages and towns under the municipality of Milas. They are all in the province of Muğla, located in southern Aegean region.

5. Link with the geographical area

Specificity of the geographical area

Milas is located in Menteşe region in the northwestern part of Muğla province, and it is a mountainous region where there are narrow and deep valleys and calcareous lands, extending in the north-southeast direction of Bafa lake-Milas depression and Ilbıra Mountain in the west and Akçay depression in the east. Limited agricultural areas and the mountainous masses and slopes in the district have prepared a favorable environment for olive farming. In Milas, olive cultivation has become an agricultural activity that is completely forced by natural conditions.

The typical characteristics of the Mediterranean climate are seen in Milas district. Olive plants require average temperature conditions of 15– 20 °C during flowering period, 15– 20 °C during fruit ripening period and a minimum of 5 °C from ripening to harvest period. In addition, it needs a certain cold period during the formation of the flower bud. Olives are very sensitive to low temperatures and will be damaged if the minimum daily temperature falls below – 7 °C. The average daily temperature in olive fields in Milas is minimum 9,9 °C in December, 8,9 °C in January and 9,5 °C in February which is very suitable for cooling period. The lowest average temperature is 19,4 °C in May which is the flowering period and the lowest average temperature is 17,4 °C in the fruit ripening period. These temperature values are nearly optimum growing conditions for olive trees and gives high yield of olives. Alluvial soil as well as clay-sandy soil is seen in Milas. This type of soil retains water and makes it possible for olives trees to grow stronger roots to give higher yields. Also, Milas province has a long standing average precipitation record of 900-1 000 mm which is suitable for olive farming without any need for irrigation. Although irrigation makes larger olives with higher water content, it also adversely effects the accumulation of phenols and their transfer to the olive oil.

Human Factors

The town of Milas has been an ancient human settlement area of more than 5,000 years. The natural conditions have made olive farming and olive oil production to be the primary agricultural activity in the region since Caria Civilization. On the Milas-Bodrum road, a press bed formed in a native rock in Saricay bed Pilavtepe is dated to 2000 BC. Records from 16th and 17th centuries AD mention the olive mills and the olive houses of the Ottoman Empire in Milas. The know-how of local olive growers is essential to start harvest. The maturation of olive oil influences both the chlorophyll content and antioxidant content. Choosing the right time to harvest (before fully ripening stage where chlorophyll and phenolic levels are lower) gives Milas Zeytinyağı its specific color and phenolic content. The long tradition of olive oil making in the area also lead to the establishment of many olive oil production facilities in the region. This way the olives are processed to olive oil in very short time, preventing the hydrolyzation of triglycerides to free fatty acids and keeping the free fatty acid content low.

Specificity of the product

The specificity of ‘Milas Zeytinyağı’ is linked to its dark green/yellow color and pungent fruity smell with its grassy aroma and grass and capsicum and black pepper tastes. These characteristics are influenced to the ‘Memecik’ variety. Memecik variety has been cultivated in the Milas region for generations and greater percentage of olive trees in this region is of ‘Memecik’ variety. According to scientific studies Memecik olive variety inherently have high antioxidant activity and phenolic content compared to other cultivars grown in Turkey (Sevim and Tuncay; 2012). However the α-tocopherol content of olive oils produced from Memecik olive variety in Milas are higher compared olive oils from other olive cultivars grown in the area and also olive oils from other regions (Sevim, Köseoğlı, Çetin; 2016). Research into the volatile components of Milas Zeytinyağı has shown that the high phenolic content accounts for the aroma and taste of Milas Zeytinyağı and the most frequent phenolic compounds are hexanal, which is responsible for ‘green, apple and cut grass’, E-2-hexenal for ‘bitter, almond, green and apple’, hexanol for as ‘fruity and cut grass’ and Z-3 hexenol which is responsible for ‘green fruity and bitter’ aroma components. The high phenolic and α-tocopherol content also protects the olive oil from oxidation, giving it lower peroxide values.

Causal link

Milas Zeytinyağı is characterized by the presence of the Memecik variety, which is well established in the area and accounts for almost all its olive trees. The dominant presence of this variety contribute to the chemical composition of the oil, in particular the phenolic content and antioxidant activity.

The specific pedo-climatic conditions of the geographical area and human factors also play a role in creating the specificity of Milas Zeytinyağı. The mountains and slopes in the district has forced olive farming to be major agricultural activity. The temperature values are nearly optimum growing conditions for olive trees and gives high yield of olives. Lack of irrigation produces olives with high phenolic content. Olive growers start harvest before the olives are fully ripened to give the olive oil its specific color and aroma. The fast speed of processing also plays a role to keep peroxide and free fatty acid values low.

Reference to publication of the specification

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

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