EN Official Journal of the European Union C 53/14

Publication of an application 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

(2016/C 53/08)

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).

SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘SEL DE SALIES-DE-BÉARN’

EU No: FR-PGI-0005-01311 – 03.02.2015

PDO ( ) PGI ( X )

1. Name(s)

‘Sel de Salies-de-Béarn’

2. Member State or Third Country

France

3. Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1. Type of product

Class 2.6. Salt

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

‘Sel de Salies-de-Béarn’ is an edible salt. It comes in the form of fine salt or coarse salt. It is neither refined nor washed after harvesting, and is produced without the addition of technological additives.

Physical properties:

Grains of ‘Sel de Salies-de-Béarn’ differ greatly in size and shape. They are also brittle and fragile.

‘Sel de Salies-de-Béarn’ comes in the form of grains. It is made up of a framework of inverted and hollow salt pyramids.

‘Sel de Salies-de-Béarn’ crystals have microscopic cavities filled with brine, called fluid inclusions.

Grain size:

80 % of the coarse-salt grains are 0,5 mm in size or larger. 80 % of the fine-salt grains are 0,5 mm in size or smaller.

Chemical properties:

Upon being packaged, ‘Sel de Salies-de-Béarn’ meets the following criteria:

Parameter Content Humidity ≤ 8 % Insolubles level ≤ 1 % Calcium ≥ 100 mg/100 g Potassium ≥ 30 mg/100 g Magnesium ≥ 10 mg/100 g Sulphates ≥ 100 mg/100 g

Organoleptic properties:

‘Sel de Salies-de-Béarn’ is naturally white in colour, with a milky appearance and hints of pink and pale yellow.

Presentation:

‘Sel de Salies-de-Béarn’ is sold in sealed, marked, tamper-proof packages.

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

—

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

The processes that must take place in the geographical area are:

— drilling;

— pumping of salty spring-water;

— production of salt;

— drying – sifting – milling;

— packaging.

The production of salt involves the following processes:

— decanting of the salty spring-water;

— evaporation of the salty spring-water by heating;

— harvesting;

— storage/draining.

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

Because salt is a brittle and fragile product, ‘Sel de Salies-de-Béarn’ must not be removed from the geographical area of production until after it has been packaged in a way that can ensure the preservation of the characteristics and quality of ‘Sel de Salies-de-Béarn’ for the end consumer.

Local workshops have special know-how. Because of their good knowledge of the product, its fragility and brittleness, they pay special attention to storage and packaging. When the salt has reached the set level of moisture content, the saltmaker decides – according to atmospheric conditions but above all according to the sense of touch – the right moment to package the salt. The salt should not stick to the fingers.

Saltmakers take care not to crush the product and to keep handling to a minimum. The goal is to preserve the white colour, to prevent the clustering of the salt crystals, and to avoid breaking the grains, which destroys the fluid inclusions.

Packaging ‘Sel de Salies-de-Béarn’ in the geographical area also helps to improve traceability of the product and to ensure there is no mixing with other salts.

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

The product label must include:

— the name of the PGI: ‘Sel de Salies-de-Béarn’

— the sales description: — Coarse salt; — Fine salt.

4. Concise definition of the geographical area

The defined geographical area comprises the municipalities located in the area of the North Pyrenean frontal thrust faults.

It covers 180 km2 and comprises 13 municipalities in the Aquitaine region:

— 2 municipalities in the department of Landes: Saint-Cricq-du-Gave and Sorde-l’Abbaye.

— 11 municipalities in the department of Pyrénées-Atlantiques: Auterrive, Came, Carresse-Cassaber, Castagnède, Escos, Labastide-Villefranche, Léren, Oraàs, Saint-Dos, Saint-Pé-de-Léren and Salies-de-Béarn.

5. Link with the geographical area

Specificity of the geographical area

At the start of the Mesozoic era and during the Triassic period, the evaporation of sea water during two successive evaporation episodes in a dry climate created salt deposits in the ‘Sel de Salies-de-Béarn’ geographical area: evaporites, made up of gypsum (calcium sulphate) and halite (sodium chloride), which form layers up to 900 m thick, 600 m of which is salt. At the end of the Cretaceous era, the Triassic massif of Salies-de-Béarn was subjected to significant tectonic pressure due to the formation of the Pyrenees.

The deep salt layers in the geographical area are less dense than the rock covering them. Their flexible nature led to the creation of sharp or dome-shaped salt protrusions called diapirs. A diapir can be found close to surface level in the geographic area’s Triassic massif.

Seeping into the deep layers, the water becomes mineralised mainly from contact with the salt Triassic. Within the salt bloc, or from contact with it, the waters leach the salt and become loaded with sodium chloride. As these waters pass through the dolomite veins within the Triassic layers, they become enriched with mineral salts and trace elements.

The water flows in channels formed by the dissolution of Triassic rock (salt, limestone and dolomite).

Owing to the difference in elevation, these waters emerge at the surface, creating naturally salty resurgences in the geographical area.

As regards human factors, many remains of pots and ovens provide evidence of salt production as early as the Bronze Age in the Triassic massif of Salies-de-Béarn. In the Bronze Age, (2 200 BC to 800 BC) and during Antiquity (600 BC to 400 AD), salty spring-water was heated and evaporated in ceramic vessels, which were then broken to extract the salt.

In the Middle Ages (the 5th to the 15th centuries AD) a significant change occurred in the salt-production process: the emergence of the ‘salt pan’. Water heated on wood fires was evaporated, and the salt precipitated at the bottom of the container was collected.

In the 16th century, the inhabitants of Salies-de-Béarn, clustered around this natural asset, decided to organise themselves:

— by creating an association of common interest: the ‘Corporation des Part-Prenants’ (Stakeholders’ Guild);

— and by drawing up a regulation, the ‘Règlement de la Fontaine Salée’ (the Salty-Spring Regulation).

Five centuries after its creation, this organisation still exists.

Today, ‘Sel de Salies-de-Béarn’ is still produced using salty spring-water extracted from the geographical area. It is created by crystallisation during the evaporation of salty spring-water, using the ancient method of heating the brine in salt pans in the open air.

Because of its physical properties connected to its method of production, ‘Sel de Salies-de-Béarn’ is a brittle and fragile product.

Saltmakers monitor the storage, handling and packaging conditions in order to limit:

— the oxidation of grains at the surface, which can alter their colour;

— multiple and careless handling, which can damage the salt grains and destroy the fluid inclusions present in the crystals.

Specificity of the product

‘Sel de Salies-de-Béarn’ salt comes in the form of clusters of pyramid-formations, which accumulate at the bottom of the salt pan, and which are formed by accretion.

Crystals of ‘Sel de Salies-de-Béarn’ come in different shapes and sizes.

They have fluid inclusions of brine trapped in microscopic cavities.

‘Sel de Salies-de-Béarn’ is characterised by a naturally white colour, with hints of pink and pale yellow.

The fluid inclusions present in the salt crystals give them their milky appearance.

A comparative study by D. Cussey-Geisler et M.H. Grimaldi (‘Caractérisation du sel utilisé pour la salaison du Jambon de Bayonne (Characterisation of the salt used for the salting of Bayonne ham)’, UPPA, July 1989) of several salts from different sources concluded that, from a geochemical point of view, ‘Sel de Salies-de-Béarn’ has a wide variety of trace elements, in particular calcium, potassium, magnesium, and different sulphates, that are characteristic of the Triassic evaporites.

These specific characteristics give ‘Sel de Salies-de-Béarn’ a strong reputation.

Causal link

The link to the origin of ‘Sel de Salies-de-Béarn’ is based on its quality and reputation. The combination of natural factors and ancient know-how lead to the creation of this unique product.

The geographic area’s spring water became very rich in minerals upon contact with the geological layers. The trace elements present in this spring water can be found in the fluid inclusions of crystals of ‘Sel de Salies-de-Béarn’.

The ancient know-how respects the intrinsic qualities of the spring water and makes crystallisation possible, without any human intervention other than the heating of water, giving ‘Sel de Salies-de-Béarn’ all of its richness.

This same know-how helps to preserve the natural colour of ‘Sel de Salies-de-Béarn’, because special attention is paid to the storage and packaging stages, in particular by preventing oxidation and increases in moisture content.

Lastly, by keeping handling to a minimum it is possible to preserve the characteristic structure of ‘Sel de Salies-de-Béarn’ in the form of clusters of inverted pyramids.

Numerous historical accounts give testimony to the reputation of ‘Sel de Salies-de-Béarn’, such as ‘Mélanges historiques critiques de physique, de littérature et de poésie (Assorted critical reviews of physics, literature, and poetry)’ (1768), in which the Marquis d’Orbessan described the production of salt at Salies-de-Béarn. He concluded his story with the following observation: ‘There is nobody who does not know that one must bleach ordinary salt to remove its briny flavour and make it fit to be served on tables. Salies salt does not need to be treated in this way.’

Today, salt still has a central role in the social and cultural life of the town of Salies-de-Béarn, which promotes salt through dedicated associations, artistic works, and cultural activities. Thus, every year for more than 30 years, the ‘Jurade du sel’ association has organised the famous ‘Hesta de la sau (salt festival)’. This event brings together more than 10 000 people every year. All year around, many tourists come to visit ‘the city of salt’.

‘Sel de Salies-de-Béarn’ is used to produce well-known products, such as the ‘Jambon de Bayonne’ PGI, ‘Ossau-Iraty’ PDO ewe’s milk cheese, and the ‘Canard à foie gras du Sud-Ouest’ PGI (Chalosse, Gascogne, Gers, Landes, Périgord, Quercy).

Many chefs and chocolate-makers also use ‘Sel de Salies-de-Béarn’.

Reference to publication of the specification

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

https://www.inao.gouv.fr/fichier/CDCIGPSelSaliesDeBearn2015.pdf

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