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: 2007-12-19
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Portugal, designation of origin, labelling, location of production, meat product, mode of production, pigmeat, product designation, product quality

19.12.2007

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Official Journal of the European Union

C 308/23

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 308/09)

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

‘PRESUNTO DE CAMPO MAIOR E ELVAS’ or ‘PALETA DE CAMPO MAIOR E ELVAS’

EC No: PT/PGI/005/0438/24.11.2004

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:

Gabinete de Planeamento e Políticas

Address: Rua Padre António Vieira, n.o 1, 8o

P-1099-073 Lisboa

(351) 213 81 93 00

(351) 213 87 66 35

Tel.

Fax

E-mail:

gppaa@gppaa.min-agricultura.pt

2. Group:

Name:

Address:

Tel.

Fax

ACPA — Associação de Criadores de Porco Alentejano

Rua Armação de Pêra, n.o 7
P-7670-259 Ourique

(351) 286 51 80 30

(351) 286 51 80 37

E-mail:

acpaourique@mail.telepac.pt

Composition: Producers/processors ( X ) Other ( )

3.

Type of product:

Class 1.2: Meat-based products (cooked, salted, smoked, etc.)

4.

Specification:

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

4.1. Name:

‘Presunto de Campo Maior e Elvas’ or ‘Paleta de Campo Maior e Elvas’

4.2. Description: Presuntos and paletas produced from legs and shoulders respectively of pigs (other than
breeding animals) of the Alentejana breed entered in the Portuguese herd book in the Alentejana breed
Section, reared in a specified manner and slaughtered when they are 12 to 24 months old. The salting,
post-salting, drying/curing, ageing, cutting and packing are governed by well-defined rules.

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Presuntos consist of hind legs severed at the level of the pig's ischio-pubic symphysis, while paletas are
made from its forelegs. The presunto and paleta are defined anatomically and in terms of muscle since
there is a layer of covering fat around the latter. Shape and appearance: the presunto has an elongated
cross-section, tapers to a narrow tip or point, and the hoof and outer skin are still attached; the paleta
has a rounded cross-section, tapers to a point, and the hoof and outer skin are still attached. Weight: in
excess of 5 kg in the case of the presunto, and in excess of 3,5 kg in the case of the paleta. When cut
the meat has a red, oily, glossy and marbled appearance, with streaks of intramuscular fat. The texture
is soft and not very fibrous. The fat is bright, white to pearly and has a pleasant taste. The flavour is
slightly salty, lingering and pleasant, and there is a pleasant ‘montanheira’ aroma. The products are easily
distinguishable from Presunto do Alentejo in that they are thinner, more elongated, saltier and darker.

4.3. Geographical area: The boundaries of the geographical area in which the raw materials are produced
(i.e. where the animals are born, reared, fattened and slaughtered, the carcases are cut and the legs and
feet are obtained) are set naturally, by the location of the montado, by the presence of holdings able to
practise a montanheira type of farming, and by the rules governing slaughter and cutting and the
production of Alentejo pigs' legs and shoulders. The area comprises the following municipalities and
parishes: Abrantes, Alandroal, Alcácer do Sal (except the parish of Santa Maria do Castelo), Alcoutim,
Aljezur (parishes of Odeceixe, Bordeira, Rogil and Aljezur), Aljustrel, Almodôvar, Alter do Chão, Alvito,
Arraiolos, Arronches, Avis, Barrancos, Beja, Borba, Campo Maior, Castelo Branco, Castelo de Vide,
Castro Marim (parishes of Odeleite and Azinhal), Castro Verde, Chamusca, Coruche, Crato, Cuba, Elvas
(except the parish of Caia e S. Pedro), Estremoz, Évora, Ferreira do Alentejo, Fronteira, Gavião, Grândola
(except the parish of Melides), Idanha-a-Nova, Lagos (parish of Bensafrim), Loulé (parishes of Ameixial,
Salir, Alte, Benafim and Querença), Marvão, Mértola, Monchique (parishes of Monchique, Marmelete
and Alferce), Monforte, Montemor-o-Novo, Mora, Moura, Mourão, Nisa, Odemira (except the parishes
of Vila Nova de Mil Fontes andS. Teotónio), Ourique, Penamacor, Ponte de Sôr, Portalegre, Portel,
Redondo, Reguengos de Monsaraz, Sabugal, Santiago do Cacém (except the parish of Santo André),
Sardoal, São Brás de Alportel, Serpa, Sines, Silves (parishes ofS. Marcos,S. Bartolomeu de Messines and
Silves), Sousel, Tavira (parish of Cachopo), Vendas Novas, Viana do Alentejo, Vidigueira, Vila Velha de
Ródão and Vila Viçosa.

The geographical area in which processing (production, cutting, slicing and packaging) takes place is set
naturally, being limited to the municipalities of Campo Maior and Elvas, since the latter feature a micro-
climate that differs substantially from the conditions obtaining in the rest of the Alentejo, in that it is
more continental (very hot and dry summers and very cold and dry winters), inevitably leading to
significant differences in the way the meat is prepared, salted, aged and cured, differences which them-
selves bring about appreciable changes in organoleptic characteristics of the finished product. The
presuntos and paletas have a thinner and more elongated cross-section, are darker and, when cut, have a
less tender and succulent texture, a more delicate and slightly salty flavour and a less smooth, bitterer
and more lingering aroma.

4.4. Proof of origin: Pigs of the Alentejana breed must be born and reared on registered holdings that are
subject to control arrangements. At birth the animals are entered in the appropriate herd book.
Slaughter, butchering, processing, slicing, and packaging must be carried out on premises that are
approved for that purpose by the inspection body, are located in the geographical areas concerned and
are subject to control arrangements. Approval shall be dependent on a prior verification of the condi-
tions under which production and manufacturing take place, in particular as regards the origin of the
raw materials used and how the latter are processed, cut, sliced and packaged, and the characteristics of
the final product. Specifications and control arrangements have been adopted which apply to the entire
chain of production and to all those involved.

A comprehensive traceability system implemented by the producers themselves makes it possible to
monitor the entire production circuit from the raw material to the final product (‘from the montado to
the table’) and, on the basis of the number on the certification mark on whole hams or on the packages
of sliced meat, identify the ear-tag number of the animals.

At the end of the production process only products which fulfil all the specifications and have under-
gone suitable documented checks — including laboratory tests and submission to a tasting panel —
may bear the certification mark, logo and name Presunto de Campo Maior e Elvas PGI or Paleta de Campo
Maior e Elvas PGI.

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4.5. Method of production: The pigs, of the Alentejana breed, are reared under extensive and semi-extensive
conditions, mostly in the open air, in areas featuring a minimum of 40 holm oak or Hispania oak trees
per hectare and a maximum density of one pig per hectare of montado. The animals tend to be reared
extensively, feeding on cereal waste and by-products, grasses, legumes (e.g. peas and vetches) and even
small mammals and birds, eggs, reptiles, molluscs, worms, etc., as is the wont of omnivorous animals.
It is only when there is a shortage of food in the field that the animals may be given supplements (up
to 30 % of their diet) from outside the region. The animals invariably undergo a finishing phase in
which they spend 60 to 90 days under a montanheira system (i.e. feeding on acorns and other montado
products), and must replace at least three arrobas (45 kg) of body weight in this way. The pigs are
slaughtered at between 12 and 24 months, the minimum weight of each carcase being 90 kg. The legs
and shoulders are marked individually by means of a numbered tag. The legs and shoulders must
weigh a minimum of 7,5 kg and 5 kg respectively, and the hoof must still be attached. Depending on
the weight of the legs and shoulders the subcutaneous fat may be trimmed. The processing of the legs
and feet, based on authentic and unvarying local methods derived from the know-how of the local
population, comprises the following: cutting, salting, rinsing, post salting (sweating), drying/curing and
ageing. It is in the course of this process that the presuntos and paletas slowly acquire the appearance,
colour, aroma and texture that make them unique.

Manufacturing: technical parameters

Presunto de Campo Maior e Elvas

Paleta de Campo Maior e Elvas

Salting

Duration

Temperature

Moisture

10-15 days

< 5 °C

85-90 %

Washing and rinsing

1-3 days

5-12 days

< 5 °C

85-90 %

1-3 days

Post salting

Duration

Temperature

Moisture

Drying/curing

Phase One

Duration

Temperature

Moisture

Phase Two

Duration

Temperature

Moisture

Ageing

Duration

Temperature

Moisture

Up to 30 days

Up to 30 days

3-5 °C

85-90 %

3-5 °C

85-90 %

Up to 45 days

Up to 45 days

8-12 °C

80-85 %

8-12 °C

80-85 %

Up to 20 days

Up to 20 days

12-18 °C

70-72 %

12-18 °C

70-72 %

12 months at least

12 months at least

in
Natural
temperature and moisture

conditions

terms

of

Natural conditions in terms of tempera-
ture and moisture

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Official Journal of the European Union

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Presuntos and Paletas de Campo Maior e Elvas may be marketed whole,
in pieces or sliced, with or
without bone. The cutting, slicing and boning may be carried out only on premises situated within the
geographical area of production, in so far as special know-how is associated with these operations, a
know-how which relates to the shape, delicate aromas and complex flavours of each piece. Before a
piece is selected for cutting, specialists from the region determine the optimum curing stage, and
knowledgeable and trained tasters carry out a detailed organoleptic assessment of the product and its
suitability for cutting. In order to maximise the yield from each piece the cutting must be performed
by highly trained specialists who, by means of expert cuts, can make use of all the muscle tissue in the
piece and produce extremely thin slices that fully exploit the product's organoleptic potential. The fat
on the meat — which has its own flavour, aroma, colour and brilliance — deteriorates rapidly when in
contact with the air or when the temperature is high. Accordingly, the work described above has to be
carried out on premises that are suitable microbiologically and in terms of temperature and moisture,
in order not to impair the delicate flavour and enable the product to be packaged promptly, thereby
avoiding undue exposure to the air. It should be added that this work is accompanied by organoleptic
tests carried out by specially trained personnel, the aim being to ensure that the product is fully trace-
able and is not impaired, above all organoleptically, that the consumer, far from being misled,
is
supplied with a product that is genuine and was produced in its region of origin, and that checks can
be carried out throughout the production cycle.

4.6. Link: Presuntos and paletas de Campo Maior e Elvas are produced in a region where soils are poor and the
climate markedly hot and dry in the summer and cold and dry in the winter. The flora that is able to
withstand these conditions and which can be exploited is the montado and the vegetation associated
with it. The Alentejo pig is the animal that best exploits those natural conditions, since it can be reared
in the open and allowed to feed mainly on the natural products associated with that environment
(grasses, acorns, cereals and pulses and small animals) under a specific system known as montanheira.

This type of animal husbandry and nutrition gives the meat special characteristics in terms of both
muscle and fat cover.

The special climatic conditions obtaining in Campo Maior and Elvas led to the development of specific
know-how which, since it enables the pigmeat to be dried naturally, without resorting to smoke or any
external agent with the exception of salt, results in a number of differences, in particular as regards:

— the cutting and dressing of the meat,

— the duration of the salting,

— the duration of the various stages of the work.

Accordingly, Presuntos and Paletas de Campo Maior e Elvas have a thinner and more elongated
cross-section, are darker and, when cut, have a less tender and less succulent texture, a flavour that is
less delicate but slightly salty, and an aroma that is less smooth and delicate.

Reflecting as they do the conditions obtaining in Elvas and Campo Maior, municipalities that are
further inland and more ‘continental’, these products are thinner, more elongated, saltier and darker
than the softer ones produced in the plains of the Alentejo.

The relationship between the product and the region is also based on the following:

History: There are numerous references — some dating back several centuries B.C. — to the role and
importance of pork products in the local diet. More recently, the last four hundred years or so
witnessed a struggle between agriculture and animal husbandry, centred on the ill effects pigfarming
has on agricultural land and pigfarming's role in feeding the population. Practically every municipality
in the High Alentejo at some time or another asked the king or parliament to protect its interests. In
Elvas and Arronches, for instance, there were so many pigs on the city streets that, by order of the
king, they were not allowed within the city walls. With, as a result, families prevented from keeping
pigs — then a major resource — the king received so many equally vigorous counterpleas that he
ordered a return to the previous state of affairs, whereupon those who signed the petitions in some
cases began to complain that the lack of pigs meant misery for the poor. Campo Maior did not

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become part of Portuguese territory until the signing of the Treaty of Alcanises in the 13th century,
when King Dinis was on the throne. Elvas, which is said to have been founded by the Romans, was
first reconquered from the Moors in 1166 and, in 1229 became part of Portugal. Both Campo Maior
and Elvas are frontier locations, where the Spanish influence is particularly marked, something which is
reflected in the differences in the way in which Presuntos and Paletas are produced compared with the
rest of the Alentejo.

Soil and climate: The sparse oak woodlands and associated vegetation of the montado provide a type of
flora which can successfully withstand the harsh conditions found locally, a combination of poor soils
and a markedly hot and dry climate. For their part, Campo Maior and Elvas have a specific microcli-
mate featuring very low annual rainfall (617 mm), a very high level of sunshine (2 979 hours) and
temperatures that easily reach 33-34 °C in the summer and can fall to 4-5 °C in the winter, which both
attests to its continental nature and provides ideal conditions for the drying of Presuntos and Paletas.

Human: A number of traditions are associated with the consumption of these products, which are
never presented ready-cooked. In Campo Maior and Elvas it is customary to eat Presuntos or Paletas
cut very thinly by hand and accompanied by a good regional wine, in the late afternoon or as an appe-
tiser before a late lunch. In earlier times Presuntos or Paletas de Campo Maior e Elvas tended to be served
only on festive occasions or as a gift to honoured guests.

4.7. Inspection body:

Name:

Agricert — Certificação de Produtos Alimentares, Lda

Address: Av. de Badajoz, n.o 3

P-7350-903 Elvas

(351) 268 62 50 26

(351) 268 62 65 46

Tel.

Fax

E-mail:

agricert@agricert.pt

Agricert is recognised as complying with Standard 45011:2001.

4.8. Labelling: The following must appear on the labelling: ‘Presunto de Campo Maior e Elvas — PGI’ or ‘Paleta
de Campo Maior e Elvas — PGI’ and the relevant Community logo, plus the certification mark, the name
of the product and its designation, the name of the inspection body and the serial number (a numerical
or alphanumeric code which allows the product to be traced). The following pictogram is hot-branded
on the outer skin of Presunto de Campo Maior e Elvas and Paleta de Campo Maior e Elvas: