Publication of an application for registration pursuant to Article 6(2) of Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin of agricultural products and foodstuffs
Date: 2007-10-31
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Portugal, designation of origin, location of production, product designation, rice

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OTHER ACTS

COMMISSION

Publication of an application for registration pursuant to Article 6(2) of Council Regulation (EC)
No 510/2006 on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin of agricultural
products and foodstuffs

(2007/C 258/08)

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

SINGLE DOCUMENT

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006

‘ARROZ CAROLINO DAS LEZÍRIAS RIBATEJANAS’

EC No: PT/PGI/005/0552/07.08.2006

( X ) PGI ( ) PDO

1. Name

‘Arroz Carolino das Lezírias Ribatejanas’

2. Member State or Third Country

Portugal

3. Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1. Type of product

Class 1.6 — Fresh or processed fruit, vegetables and cereals

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

Hulled caryopsis of the Aríete variety (2nd generation) of the Japonica subspecies of the Oryza sativa L.
plant, duly dried, shelled, whitened and polished.

Physical Characteristics (Mean values (± 0,3))

Moisture (%)

Length (mm)

Width (mm)

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

13

6,4

2,5

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Length/width ratio

Total ash (%)

Husk-on colour

Colour after whitening

Chemical Characteristics (Mean values (± 5 %))

Fat (%)

Protein (%)

Carbohydrates (%)

Energy (Kcal/100g)

2,5

0,45

Yellowish-brown

Glassy

0,9-1,3

5,2-6,8

77,1-82,3

346,5-350,1

Aroma and flavour — When plain-boiled it smells of freshly stored rice with a velvety, spongy, smooth
taste. When mixed with other ingredients, it has a slight hint of the added condiments and has a
creamy smooth texture which lingers in the mouth.

Vitreousness — Vitreous crystalline aspect.

Cooking characteristics (mean values)

Cooking time

Water absorption

3.3. Raw materials (for processed products only)

9-10,5 mins

219-235 %

The only rice eligible is the abovementioned variety from the defined geographical area, since it is only
in these conditions that the rice has a very low amylose/amylopectin content (33,5 %/66,5 %); this
allows the rice to absorb a high proportion of the water in which it is cooked and adsorb flavours,
while having a minimum industrial yield of 70 %. This is possible only in the geomorphologic condi-
tions of the Lezírias Ribatejanas (nature of the soil, quality of the irrigation water, number of hours of
sunshine, narrow range of temperatures, etc.).

3.4. Feed (for products of animal origin only)

—

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

The whole of the production cycle must take place in the defined geographical area, including the
acquisition of the 2nd generation seed, to ensure that it is entirely suited to the geomorphologic condi-
tions specific to that area. Needless to say, given the growing conditions, the entire biological cycle up
to harvesting is carried out in the same place, i.e. where the rice was originally sown. Harvesting is
governed by special rules which cover dates, phenological stage and moisture of the grain (including
the machinery used for harvesting, transportation, storage, drying, hulling, whitening and polishing) as
a way of guaranteeing the hygiene and safety of the product, preventing the introduction of biological,
chemical and microbiological contamination into the harvested crop and into the equipment and
excluding rice of other origin; it also ensures the complete traceability of the ‘Carolino’ rice to the
region of origin and even, in many cases, to the original farmer.

The geographical area in which the processing and packaging takes place coincides with the production
area, this being justified on the abovementioned grounds and by the fact that it serves to reduce to a
minimum the time taken to transport the rice to the drying areas, thus helping to avoid a deterioration
in quality.

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3.6. Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc.

For the same reasons (safety and hygiene, avoiding contamination, excluding rice from other sources,
avoiding quality deterioration and maintaining traceability, which moreover make it possible to
monitor the whole of the production chain) packaging must be carried out in the region of origin,
using materials specifically approved for the purpose.

3.7. Specific rules concerning labelling

The following indications are mandatory: Arroz Carolino das Lezírias Ribatejanas — Indicação Geográfica
Protegida; Certification marking; Community PGI logo; Arroz Carolino das Lezírias Ribatejanas logo.

The label must bear the name or company name and address of the producer even where other entities
are involved in the marketing. To the sales name — Arroz Carolino das Lezírias Ribatejanas — IGP —
may be added other indications or words (distributors' trademarks or others), subject to the approval of
the group.

4. Concise definition of the geographical area

The parishes of Azambuja, Alcoentre, Aveiras de Baixo, Aveiras de Cima, Macussa, Manique do
Intendente, Vale do Paraíso, Vila Nova da Rainha and Vila Nova de São Pedro in the municipality of
Azambuja; Barrosa, Benavente, Samora Correia and Santo Estevão in the municipality of Benavente;
Foros de Salvaterra, Glória do Ribatejo, Granho, Marinhais, Muge and Salvaterra de Magos in the muni-
cipality of Salvaterra de Magos; Alhandra, Alverca do Ribatejo, Cachoeiras, Castanheira do Ribatejo,
Calhandriz, Forte da Casa, Póvoa de Santa Iria, São João dos Montes, Sobralinho, Vialonga and Vila
Franca de Xira in the municipality of Vila Franca de Xira; Azervadinha, Coruche, Couço, Erra, Foros da
Branca, Lamarosa, São Torcato and Santana do Mato in the municipality of Coruche.

5.

Link with the geographical area

5.1. Specificity of the geographical area

The defined geographical area has special characteristics relating, in particular, to the soil (differentiated
pedogenesis), water quality, number of hours of sunshine and narrow range of temperatures, as a result
of its location on the estuary of the River Tagus. The area is low-lying (less than 100 m a.s.e.) and prac-
tically flat (riverside meadows and plains). The soil is composed entirely of a mixture of brown, clayey
alluvial and colluvial lutum, created from fertile deposits and left by floods and tides as sediment on
sandy layers. These conditions, together with a pH level of between 5,5 and 6,5, but which may range
from 4,5 to 8,7, and the saltiness of the waters, since the region is subject to tidal influence, render
crops other than rice unviable almost throughout the area. Growing rice in the abovementioned areas
is sustainable inasmuch as it enables the associated ecosystem, the fauna and the flora, to be maintained
and furthermore avoids agricultural problems such as the salinisation of the soil. Moreover, very
thorough and specific knowledge has developed in the region as a result of having grown rice for over
two centuries.

5.2. Specificity of the product

‘Arroz Carolino das Lezírias Ribatejanas’ has a low amylose/amylopectin ratio, has high capacity to
absorb water and the aromatic molecules of condiments, and a very high industrial yield.

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5.3. Causal link between the geographical area and the quality or characteristics of the product (for PDO) or a specific

quality, the reputation or other characteristic of the product (for PGI)

The soil and climate conditions which are typical of this region of the Tagus estuary (temperate warm
Mediterranean-type climate characterised by dry summers in which the driest month is 1/3 as rainy as
the rainiest month and mitigated by the influence of the Atlantic Ocean; annual rainfall of less than
30 mm; 2 800 to 2 900 hours of sunshine, solar radiation of 145 to 150 Kcal/cm2, total precipitation
of approximately 714,8 mm; and only 12 days of frost) keep fungal infestation at bay, as a result of
which the rice is harder, less liable to break and has a higher specific weight than that produced in
other regions. It accordingly enjoys a great reputation and is more highly valued than that grown else-
where. The natural dehydration which takes place in the latter stages of ripening which, in Lezírias
Ribatejanas, coincides with high temperatures and relatively low humidity in September and the first
half of October, allows the rice to be harvested uniformly and dried naturally in the field — contrary
to what occurs in other production areas — making for greater stability and uniformity in the case of
the product of this region. Arroz Carolino das Lezírias Ribatejanas grains accordingly have a unique vitr-
eous and crystalline aspect. The natural conditions described give them a velvety, soft and smooth
flavour when eaten as plain boiled rice. Moreover, a particular characteristic of this rice is its very low
amylose/amylopectin ratio (33,5 %/66,5 %), enhancing its ability to absorb the water in which it is
cooked and the flavours of the ingredients added when preparing gastronomic dishes, and giving it a
smooth and creamy texture which lingers in the mouth.

Reference to publication of the specification

(Article 5(7) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006)

www.idrha.min-agricultura.pt