EN Official Journal of the European Union C 248/26

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 248/08

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

‘GYULAI KOLBÁSZ’ OR ‘GYULAI PÁROSKOLBÁSZ’

EC No: HU-PDO-0005-0394-21.10.2004

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: Földművelésügyi és Vidékfejlesztési Minisztérium, Élelmiszerlánc-elemzési Főosztály (Department of Food Chain Analysis of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) Address: Budapest Kossuth Lajos tér 11. 1055 MAGYARORSZÁG/HUNGARY Tel. +36 13014419 Fax +36 13014808 E-mail: zobore@fvm.hu

2. Group:

Association for the use of the GYULAI geographical product designation

Name: Gyulai Húskombinát Zrt. Address: Gyula Kétegyházi út 3. 5700 MAGYARORSZÁG/HUNGARY Tel. +36 66620220 Fax +36 66620202 E-mail: info@gyulahus.hu

Name: Csabahús Kft. Address: Békéscsaba Kétegyházi út 8. 5600 MAGYARORSZÁG/HUNGARY Tel. +36 66443211 Fax +36 66441723 E-mail: csabahus@csabahus.hu Composition: Producers/processors ( X ) Other ( )

3. Type of product:

Group 1.2. Meat products

4. Specification:

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

4.1. Name:

‘Gyulai kolbász’ or ‘Gyulai pároskolbász’

4.2. Description:

‘Gyulai kolbász’ or ‘Gyulai pároskolbász’ is produced from the chopped meat and firm lard of cross-breeds of Hungarian Large White meat-type pigs, long-haired ‘Mangalica’ and Hungarian lowland pig varieties, and Hampshire, Duroc and Pietrain varieties and their hybrids, fattened to the weight of at least 135 kg. The adequate quality of pigmeat required for the production of ‘Gyulai kolbász’ or ‘Gyulai pároskolbász’ is achieved by manual boning, which enables the thorough removal of sinews in processing almost every meat part of the pig.

‘Gyulai kolbász’ or ‘Gyulai pároskolbász’ is a meat product of a minimum of 15 % (m/m) protein content without connective tissue, consisting of pork and firm lard minced into 4-6 mm particles, filled into casings of pigs’ small intestines (or, when produced for slicing, into vapour-permeable artificial casings) in pairs, seasoned with salt, sweet and hot ground paprika, garlic, pepper and ground caraway, smoked predominantly over beech wood, and cured and preserved by drying.

‘Gyulai kolbász’ or ‘Gyulai pároskolbász’ has a diameter of 26-40 mm, and comes in 18-26 cm pairs or in sliced form. The casing is clean, free of damage and mould, has a slightly bumpy and knobby surface, a reddish-brown colour, with the lard particles showing through. It forms a compact substance, it is flexible, cohesive and easy to slice. The cut surface reveals evenly distributed 4-6 mm meat and lard particles embedded in a meat pulp. It has a pleasantly smoky and spicy fragrance and owes its harmonious flavour and aroma to the blend of spices used.

It is sold in pairs, with a label around the one of the sausages. ‘Gyulai kolbász’ or ‘Gyulai pároskolbász’ is also vacuum or modified-atmosphere packed in pairs, in printed packaging. ‘Gyulai kolbász’ or ‘Gyulai pároskolbász’ produced specifically to be sold in slices is longer and does not come in pairs; the casing is removed, and after slicing it is sold in vacuum-packed units of various sizes.

The chemical composition of the product:

Water activity maximum 0,91 Water/protein ratio maximum 1,5 Fat/protein ratio maximum 2,7 Meat-protein content without connective tissue minimum 15 % Sodium-chloride content maximum 5,0 %

4.3. Geographical area:

‘Gyulai kolbász’ or ‘Gyulai pároskolbász’ is produced within the administrative boundaries of the towns of Gyula and Békéscsaba.

4.4. Proof of origin:

An identification number is attached to each item of raw and ancillary material delivered to the plant, and this is indicated on both the production documents and the materials themselves.

The product to be manufactured is given a permanent code number identifying it in every phase of the process. An item number, containing the code number of the product and the date of production, is used to identify the finished product. Information about the raw and ancillary materials is included in the production documents.

The item number — and consequently item identification — applies to daily output quantities.

The label on the packaged product carries the date of packaging or the best-before date. With this information the item number can be identified from the daily packaging documents.

The filed documents guarantee that all information about the production of any finished product can be retrieved retrospectively.

4.5. Method of production:

‘Gyulai kolbász’ or ‘Gyulai pároskolbász’ is produced from the leg, shoulder joint, knuckle, belly, loins, shoulder and collar steak (obtained by manual boning) of the half carcasses (without head and feet) and the firm lard (free of glands) of specific cross-breeds of pig.

The meat parts (frozen to minus 2 to 4 °C or pre-cooled to 0 to plus 7 °C) and the lard (0 to minus 7 °C) are minced by machine into 4-6 mm particles, then the spices and the nitrite salt are added. The resulting paste (that has a temperature of 0 to minus 4 °C) is filled by machine into casings of pigs’ small intestines or vapour-permeable artificial casings in pairs and the sausages are then clipped at the end.

The filled sausages are subsequently smoked over slow-burning hardwood (primarily beech) logs for two to three days at 20 °C in a space with a relative humidity of 90 to 70 %.

After smoking, the sausages are cured and dried. In an effort to prevent quality defects (the formation of a crust), the dry-curing parameters are set in a way that the difference between the equilibrium relative humidity (ERH) of the sausages and the ambient relative humidity (RH) of the room should not exceed 4 to 5 %. The typical ambient temperature is 16 to 18 °C; the initial RH of 90 to 92 % is gradually reduced to 65 to 70 %. The drying is continued until the water activity in the sausages reaches 0,91, a process that takes about 14 to 16 days. This is followed by post-maturing, in the course of which the moisture content of the packaged product evens out, the cut surface becomes consistent and the substance more crumbly, and the colour stabilises as a result of the antioxidant effect of the natural spices. These properties, combined with a full-rounded flavour, completely set ‘Gyulai kolbász’ or ‘Gyulai pároskolbász’ apart from the flavour and substance of instantly marketed products.

4.6. Linking:

Presentation of the geographical area: The towns of Gyula and Békéscsaba are located in one of the lowest-lying areas of Hungary, in the south-eastern corner of the Great Plain, at an altitude of 87 and 88 metres above sea level respectively. The area has a moderate continental climate that is characteristic of the whole of the Great Plain, where continental effects are dominant but Mediterranean and oceanic effects also appear from time to time. The landscape and climate in the region of Gyula and Békéscsaba are determined by the rivers. Equally important are the forests, especially the Mályvád forest near Gyula which has a number of primordial tree varieties. The region boasts old traditions of cereal production and animal husbandry, thanks to favourable agro-ecological conditions. The fortunate coincidence of these conditions made the immediate environment of Gyula and Békéscsaba an important stop-over for market caravans heading from the Balkans to the fairs in Vienna, from the 1880s onwards. Particularly traders going to and coming from livestock fairs stopped here for brief rests; the forests and the rivers were an ideal place for resting, feeding, watering and bathing the animals. Injured animals would be slaughtered and processed in these towns. The more astute butchers and slaughtermen geared themselves to satisfy these needs and to cater for the large numbers of foreigners. In doing so they laid the foundations of the towns’ future meat processing industries. Master butchers had by the early 20th century gained considerable expertise, and some of them took their products to the largest domestic and international fairs.

The history and reputation of ‘Gyulai kolbász’ or ‘Gyulai pároskolbász’: Real international renown of the sausage was earned by József Balogh Jr. who won a gold medal at the 1910 World’s Fair in Brussels. The enterprise established by József Balogh developed into a large family business. The large-scale mechanised production of ‘Gyulai kolbász’ or ‘Gyulai pároskolbász’ is linked with the name of András Stéberl who in 1912 was apprenticed to József Balogh’s workshop where he learned the tricks of the trade. In 1935, master sausage-maker András Stéberl took his products to the World’s Fair in Brussels. His ‘Small paired Gyulai kolbász’ won a golden certificate. András Stéberl bought a plant in the middle of town where he launched the ‘industrial’ manufacture of ‘Gyulai kolbász’ or ‘Gyulai pároskolbász’ and other dried sausage products. His plant developed into one of the largest meat-processing factories in the region, employing a skilled workforce from the neighbouring areas. The production of ‘Gyulai kolbász’ or ‘Gyulai pároskolbász’ continued after World War Two and the nationalisation and company mergers in the early communist era. As numerous awards and quality prizes attest, century-old traditions have since been successfully combined with the new technology and techniques. — Brussels World’s Fair 1910, gold medal, honorary certificate, — Brussels World’s Fair 1935, gold certificate, honorary certificate, — Entitlement to use the Kiváló Áruk Fóruma (Excellent Hungarian Product) emblem, — Foodapest Success Award, 2000, — Magyar Termék Nagydíj (Hungarian Product Grand Prize), 2001, — Magyar Minőség Háza (House of Hungarian Quality), 2001, and — Special award for export development, 2001. Articles in the national and regional press have confirmed the reputation of ‘Gyulai kolbász’ or ‘Gyulai pároskolbász’.

4.7. Inspection body:

Name: Békés Megyei Mezőgazdasági Szakigazgatási Hivatal Élelmiszerlánc-biztonsági és Állategészségügyi Igazgatóság (Directorate of Food Chain Safety and Animal Health of the Békés County Agricultural Administration Office) Address: Békéscsaba Szerdahelyi út 2. 5700 MAGYARORSZÁG/HUNGARY Tel. +36 66540240 Fax +36 66547440 E-mail: karpatia@oai.hu

4.8. Labelling:

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