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: 2007-10-09
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Portugal, designation of origin, labelling, location of production, meat product, product designation, product quality, swine

C 236/18

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

9.10.2007

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

(2007/C 236/09)

This publication confers the right to object to the application pursuant to Article 7 of Council Regulation
(EC) No 510/2006 (1). Statements of objection must reach the Commission within six months from the date
of this publication.

SUMMARY

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006

‘ALHEIRA DE VINHAIS’

EC No: PT/PGI/005/0460/20.04.2005

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:

Gabinete de Planeamento e Políticas

Address:

Rua Padre António Vieira, n.o 1-8.o
P-1099-073 Lisboa

Telephone

(351) 213 819 300

Fax

(351) 213 876 635

E-mail:

gppaa@gppaa.min-agricultura.pt

2.

Group:

Name:

ANCSUB — Associação Nacional de Criadores de Suínos de Raça Bísara

Address:

Edifício da Casa do Povo, Largo do Toural
P-5320-311 Vinhais

Telephone

(351) 273 771 340

Fax

(351) 273 770 048

E-mail:

ancsub@bisaro.info

Composition: Producers/processors ( X ) Other ( )

3.

Type of product:

Class 1.2 — Meat products (cooked, salted, smoked)

4.

Specification:

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

4.1 Name:

‘Alheira de Vinhais’

(1) OJ L 93, 31.3.2006, p. 12.

9.10.2007

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 236/19

4.2 D e s c r i p t i o n : Smoked sausage, made from the meat of pigs of the Bisaro breed or of cross-breeds
that must be 50 % Bisaro (F1 animals, produced by cross-breeding pure-bred Bisaro pigs registered in
the herdbook with pigs of other breeds), poultrymeat (only for the stock), regional wheat bread and
olive oil from Trás-os-Montes (these being essential for giving the product a specific taste, smell and
texture), seasoned with salt, garlic and paprika. The sausage is horseshoe-shaped, approximately 30 cm
long with a cylindrical section of approximately 2 cm in diameter. It weighs between 170 and 200 g
and is yellow-brown in colour. When the sausage is cut, the contents appear homogeneous although it
is possible to distinguish the presence of strips of meat.

4.3 G e o g r a p h i c a l a r e a : Due to the traditional production method, the sources of animal nutrition
used, the local population's traditional know-how in terms of animal husbandry, and the pedological
conditions needed to develop the food base used to obtain raw ingredients of an undeniably distinctive
quality, the area in which the Bisaro pigs and cross-breeds used in the production of Alheira de Vinhais
are born, reared, fattened, slaughtered and cut up is confined to the municipalities of Alfândega da Fé,
Bragança, Carrazeda de Anciães, Freixo de Espada à Cinta, Macedo de Cavaleiros, Miranda do Douro,
Mirandela, Mogadouro, Torre de Moncorvo, Vila Flor, Vimioso and Vinhais in the Bragança district and
to the municipalities of Alijó, Boticas, Chaves, Mesão Frio, Mondim de Basto, Montalegre, Murça,
Régua, Ribeira de Pena, Sabrosa, Santa Marta de Penaguião, Valpaços, Vila Pouca de Aguiar and Vila
Real in the Vila Real district, since only this area has the required food base and animal husbandry
skills required.

Given the particular weather conditions required to produce Alheira de Vinhais, the people's know-how
and the constant and unchanging local methods employed, the geographical processing area is confined
to the municipalities of Alfândega da Fé, Bragança, Carrazeda de Anciães, Freixo de Espada à Cinta,
Macedo de Cavaleiros, Miranda do Douro, Mirandela, Mogadouro, Torre de Moncorvo, Vila Flor,
Vimioso and Vinhais in the Bragança district.

4.4 P r o o f o f o r i g i n : Alheira de Vinhais may be produced only in duly licensed processing plants situated
within the aforementioned processing area. The entire production process is subject to a rigorous
control system, thus ensuring the product's full traceability. The raw ingredients come from Bisaro pigs
entered in the breed's zootechnical register or crossbred pigs (F1) one of whose parents is an animal of
the Bisaro breed entered in the zootechnical register's book of adult animals, which are reared on hold-
ings encompassing an area that lends itself to traditional, semi-extensive farming, and features tradi-
tional sources of animal nutrition. It should be noted that the pigs consume large quantities of chest-
nuts, which gives the meat its very distinctive and recognisable organoleptic qualities. The pigs are
slaughtered and cut up in licensed plants situated, for both processes, in the product's geographical
area. Processing may be carried out only in plants authorised by the group after the control body has
given its approval. The certification mark on each unit is numbered, ensuring full traceability to the
farm where the product originated. It is possible to prove the origin of the product at any point in the
production chain by means of the serial number, which must be indicated on the certification mark.

4.5 M e t h o d o f p r o d u c t i o n : The pigmeat (from the head, flank and belly and off-cuts) is cut into
medium-sized pieces and the poultry carcasses are cut lengthways and then boiled in salted water. The
bread is cut into thin slices with the crust left on and then softened in the hot stock. The remaining
seasoning (garlic, paprika and Trás-os-Montes olive oil) and strips of pigmeat are added to this mixture.
Once the seasoning is right, the mixture is immediately stuffed into a pig's intestine, which is closed in
a particular way by twisting the intestine and tying a knot in it. The sausage is smoked slowly using
regional firewood (oak or chestnut) and cured or stabilised (for more than 8 days). Alheira de Vinhais is
placed on the market as a whole sausage and is always pre-packed at the place of origin. Due to the
product's characteristics and composition, it cannot be cut or sliced. Special material is used for its
packaging, which, when it comes into contact with the product, is innocuous and inert in a normal or
controlled atmosphere or in a vacuum. Packing may be carried out only in the geographical processing
area so as to ensure traceability and control and to prevent any change to the product's taste and
microbiological characteristics.

4.6 L i n k : Various zoomorphic sculptures and references made to taxes on pigs and their by-products in
different municipal registers in the region prove that pig-breeding has been important in this area for a
very long time. The relationship between the product and the geographical area stems from the (indi-
genous) breed of animal, the local sources of nutrition used, the know-how in terms of selection of the
cuts of meat, slow smoking using regional firewood and a curing process that takes place in very cold
and dry locations in the region.

C 236/20

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

9.10.2007

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

Name:

Address:

Tradição e Qualidade — Associação Interprofissional para Produtos Agro-Alimentares de
Trás-os-Montes

Av. 25 de Abril, 273 S/L
P-5370-202 Mirandela

Telephone

(351) 278 261 410

Fax

(351) 278 261 410

E-mail:

tradição-qualidade@clix.pt

Tradição e Qualidade has been recognised as complying with the requirements of Standard 45011:2001.

4.8 Labelling:

It is compulsory for the labelling to include the following: the wording ‘Alheira de Vinhais
— Indicação Geográfica Protegida’ (Protected Geographical Indication), the Community's own logo, the
logo for Vinhais products reproduced below and the certification mark, which must indicate the name
of the product, the designation/indication concerned, the control body and the serial number (numeric
or alphanumeric code ensuring the product's traceability).