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
Date: 2006-06-24
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Spain, confectionery product, designation of origin, location of production, product designation

C 148/18

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

24.6.2006

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

(2006/C 148/06)

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 from the date
of this publication.

SUMMARY

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006

Application for registration according to Article 5 and Article 17(2)

‘ALFAJOR DE MEDINA SIDONIA’

EC No: ES/0346/08.06.2004

PDO ( ) PGI ( X )

This summary has been drawn up for information only. For full details, interested parties are invited to
consult the full version of the product specification obtainable from the national authorities indicated in
section 1 or from the European Commission (1).

1.

Responsible department in the Member State:

Name:

Subdirección General de Calidad y Promoción Agroalimentaria.
Dirección General de Industrias Agroalimentarias y Alimentación. Secretaría General de
Agricultura y Alimentación. Ministerio de Agricultura Pesca y Alimentación.

Address: Paseo Infanta Isabel, 1, E-28071, Madrid

Tel:

Fax:

(34) 91 347 53 94

(34) 91 347 54 10

e-mail:

sgcaproagro@mapya.es

2.

Group:

Name:

Address:

Tel:

Fax:

Agrupación de Productores del Alfajor de Medina Sidonia

C/Los Pozos s/n. 11180 Medina Sidonia (Cádiz)

+34 956 410002

+34 956 410005

e-mail:

—

Composition: Producers/processors ( X ) Other ( )

3.

Type of product:

‘Bread, pastry, cakes, confectionery, biscuits and other baker's wares Class: 2.4.’

4.

Specification (summary of requirements under Article 4(2)):

4.1. N a me :

‘Alfajor de Medina Sidonia’.

4.2. D e s c r i p t i o n : Arab-style sweet manufactured in the town of Medina Sidonia using traditional
methods from the following ingredients: pure bees honey, almonds, hazelnuts, flour, breadcrumbs
and spices (coriander, cloves, aniseed, sesame and cinnamon).

(1) European Commission, Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, Agricultural Product Quality

Policy, B-1049 Brussels.

24.6.2006

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 148/19

The ‘alfajor’ is brown inside and has a slightly spicy aroma with a well-balanced flavour reminiscent
of nuts and honey. It is produced in the form of a small cylinder and is sold either individually or in
boxes containing several pieces.

It has the following physico-chemical characteristics, expressed as percentages contained in the
finished product: moisture content (maximum): 12.00; proteins minimum): 6.00; fat (minimum):
9.50; ash (maximum): 2.00.

The following ingredients are used:

— pure bees honey: minimum 30 %, maximum 50 %,

— nuts: minimum 15 %, maximum 20 %

(of which a minimum of 55 % must be almonds and 20 % hazelnuts),

— flour and breadcrumbs: maximum 40 %,

— spices: minimum 0.3 %, maximum 3 %.

4.3. G e o g r a p h i c a l a r e a : The product is manufactured and packed in the Municipality of Medina
Sidonia, in the heart of the Province of Cadiz. Part of the Municipality lies within the ‘Los Alcorno-
cales’ National Park.

4.4. P r o o f o f o r i g i n :

Certification:

Manufacturing undertakings listed in the register held by the Regulatory Board are subject to regular
inspections to monitor compliance with the requirements for registration.

During inspections, information is gathered on the manufacturing process, the raw materials used (for
which samples can be taken), the production and storage of the product and production volumes.

Registered manufacturing undertakings must submit an application on an official form for the certifi-
cation of each production batch to enable the Regulatory Board to take the required samples.

To receive certification, a production batch must fulfil the administrative, technical and regulatory
requirements laid down in the product specification. The Regulatory Board will decide whether or not
to certify the batch on the basis of a dossier containing the findings of the inspections, the analysis
results and other documentation held in its files.

After certification, the product is marketed under the control of the Regulatory Board. Each package
bears the secondary label of the PGI, showing, in addition to the name ‘Alfajor de Medina Sidonia’
and the logo, a unique serial number.

4.5. M e t h o d o f p r o d u c t i o n : The product is manufactured using a recipe that has been used in the
town for centuries. The process starts with heating the honey. When the correct temperature has
been reached, the almonds and hazelnuts (chopped and roasted), breadcrumbs, flour, the roasted
sesame and the coriander, cloves and aniseed (roasted and crushed) are added. The ingredients are
mixed together and the resulting dough is then cut, while still warm, and the mixture allowed to cool
to room temperature before being shaped into the elongated cylinders characteristic of ‘Alfajor de
Medina Sidonia’. It is permitted to add cinnamon to the warm dough.

Finally, the pieces of dough are dipped in syrup and coated with sugar and cinnamon powder before
being wrapped and packaged.

4.6. L i n k : The origin and development of ‘Alfajor de Medina Sidonia’ is among the best documented of

all Andalusian sweets and it has enjoyed a prestigious reputation since the fifteenth century.

The town's tradition for confectionery, a recipe handed down from generation to generation and a
marvellous selection of raw materials produce a product with unique qualities, known since time
immemorial as ‘Alfajor de Medina Sidonia’.

C 148/20

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

24.6.2006

Historic link:

Numerous works over the centuries have attested to the reputation for and tradition of confectionery
manufacture in the town of Medina Sidonia, the most important among which are the writings of
Dr Thebussen (a well-known journalist and writer on gastronomy). The following paragraph describes
a tradition handed down from father to son:

‘To make “alfajor” or “alajú” you need the following ingredients: two litres of white honey, three “medios” of
hazelnuts and one pound of almonds, all roasted and chopped, an ounce and a half of powdered cinnamon,
two ounces of aniseed, a quarter of an ounce of cloves and a quarter of an ounce of coriander, roasted and
ground, a pound of roasted sesame, eight pounds of breadcrumbs from unsalted, unleavened bread cobs, well
cooked in the oven, with half a pound of sugar and when…’.

Production conditions:

The economy of Medina Sidonia depends to a great extent on the food industry, which is the town's
largest industry, confectionery manufacturing being particularly important.

The town has a reputation throughout the Province of Cadiz as a traditional confectionery-manufac-
turing area, producing traditional products from ancient recipes, demonstrating the age of the tradi-
tion in the area.

The ‘alfajor’ enjoys a great reputation and is the most representative and best-known sweet produced
in Medina Sidonia.

4.7. I n s p e c t i o n b o d y :

Name:

Consejo Regulador de la Denominación Específica ‘Alfajor de Medina Sidonia’.

Address: Plaza de España s/n 11180 Medina Sidonia (Cádiz)

Tel:

Fax:

+34-956 41 24 80

+34-956 41 24 80

e-mail: —

4.8. L a b e l l i n g : Once certification has been accorded by the Regulatory Board, the manufacturing under-
taking may market its ‘alfajores’ in accordance with the provisions of the specification for the PGI.

The labels must be approved by the Regulatory Board and the words ‘Denominación Específica
Alfajor de Medina Sidonia’ must appear on them.

The numbered secondary labels are issued by the Regulatory Board.

4.9. N a ti ona l r e q u i r e me nt s:

— Law No 25/1970 of 2 December 1970 on rules governing viticulture, wine and spirits;

— Decree No 835/1972 of 23 March 1972 on detailed rules for the implementation of Law No

25/1970;

— Order of 25 January 1994 specifying the correlation between Spanish law and Regulation (EEC)
indications for agricultural

No 2081/92 as regards designations of origin and geographical
products and foodstuffs;

— Royal Decree No 1643/1999 of 22 October 1999 on the procedure governing applications for
entry into the Community register of protected designations of origin and protected geographical
indications;

— Law 24/2003 of 10 July 2003 on rules governing viticulture and wine.