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: 2007-12-22
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Spain, designation of origin, product designation, rice

C 314/46

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

22.12.2007

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 314/16)

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

‘ARROZ DEL DELTA DEL EBRO’ or ‘ARRÒS DEL DELTA DE L'EBRE’

EC No: ES/PDO/005/0336/11.03.2004

PDO ( X ) PGI ( )

This summary sets out the main elements of the product specification for information purposes.

1. Responsible department in the Member State:

Name:

Subdirección General de Sistemas de Calidad Diferenciada. Dirección General de Alimenta-
ción. Secretaría General de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación del Ministerio de Agricultura,
Pesca y Alimentación

Address: Paseo Infanta Isabel, 1

E-28071 Madrid

(34) 913 47 53 94

(34) 913 47 54 10

Tel.

Fax

E-mail:

sgcaproagro@mapya.es

2. Group:

Name:

Address:

Tel.

Fax

Consejo Regulador de la Indicación Geográfica Protegida «Arroz del Delta del Ebro»

C/Prim 92 de Amposta
E-43870 Amposta (Tarragona)

(34) 977 70 10 20 — 977 48 77 77

(34) 977 70 01 90 — 977 48 77 78

E-mail:

info@arrossaires.com

Composition: Producers/processors ( X ) Other ( )

3.

Type of product:

Class: 1.6 — Cereals

4.

Specification:

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

4.1. Name:

‘Arroz del Delta del Ebro’ or ‘Arròs del Delta de l'Ebre’

4.2. Description: White rice, of the commercial category ‘Extra’, belonging to the ‘Bahía’,

‘Tebre’,

‘Sénia’,

‘Fonsa’, ‘Bomba’ and ‘Montsianell’ varieties of the species Oryza sativa L.

The most widely grown varieties are ‘Bahía’, ‘Sénia’ and ‘Tebre’, which have very similar characteristics.

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The specific characteristics of the grain of the principal variety of rice (Bahía) are as follows:

Characteristics of the uncooked, processed grain

Length: 5,53 mm

Width: 2,99 mm

Thickness: 2,14 mm

Amylose (% of dry matter): 19,41 %

Milling characteristics: behaviour of
processing

Cooking characteristics of the grain

the rice during

Total yield: 69,90 %

% of broken grains: 11,63 %

Cooking time: 16 minutes

Absorption of water (*): 1,93

Increase in length of grain: 8,45 %

Adhesion of grains: 7,83

Acceptability: 5,75

Visual aspect: 5,5

Organoleptic characteristics of the grain after cooking
(on the Batcher scale and on the basis of a tasting (**))

(g. water/g. rice).

(*)
(**) 9 = very good; 7 = good; 5 = normal; 3 = substandard.

Basic characteristics of the different varieties:

Germination

Tillering

Laying down

Height of plant

Diameter of stalk

Resistance to rice blast

Cycle days

Length

Weight

Number of grains

% of defective grains

Shape of ear

Weight of spicula

Processed weight

Bahía

Sénia

Tebre

Fonsa

Bomba

M

B

M

M

M

M

M

B

M

M

M

M

M

B

M

M

M

M

M

B

A

B

A

M

M

B

B

M

A

B

150

140

145

135

148

M

M

M

M

SA

A

M

M

M

M

M

SA

M

M

M

M

M

M

SA

M

M

M

M

M

M

SA

M

M

B

A

M

M

SA

SA

A

B = low; M = medium; A = high; SA = semi-open.
The Montsianell variety cannot be included in the above comparative table because it has recently been entered in the Register of Commercial
Varieties of Rice.

All these varieties are distinguished by their uniform cooking characteristics and homogeneous grains
and are ideal for the region's cuisine since, unlike other types of rice such as long-grain rice, the grain
absorbs flavour well.

These varieties have a high concentration of starch in the centre of the grain, known as ‘pearling’,
which is responsible for the absorption of the flavours of the other ingredients in the dish and for the
colouring of the rice.

All the varieties to be protected by the ‘Arroz del Delta del Ebro’ PDO will on despatch exhibit all the
characteristics of the ‘Extra’ category and the grains must be: healthy, without fungus, mould, insects or
parasites; clean, with no extraneous smell or flavour; dry, with no more than 15 % moisture content;
and without remnants of pericarp cuticles.

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4.3. Geographical area: The production and processing area of the future ‘Arroz del Delta del Ebro’ PDO
covers the Ebro Delta, which forms part of the Districts of Baix Ebre and Montsià in the Province of
Tarragona.

The production area is made up of land suitable for rice-growing situated in the municipalities of
Deltebre and Sant Jaume d'Enveja and, in the Ebro Delta, in the municipalities of L'Aldea, Amposta,
L'Ampolla, Camarles and Sant Carles de la Ràpita.

The area for milling and cleaning the rice is made up of the municipalities that form the production
area up to carretera nacional 340, except in the case of the municipality of Amposta, where the area
ends at the A7 motorway. The rice must come from holdings located in the production area which are
listed in the register of holdings kept by the Regulatory Board and must belong to authorised varieties.

4.4. Proof of origin: The rice must come from holdings listed in the register of holdings kept by the Regula-
tory Board and located in the production area, and must belong to authorised varieties. The rice is
evaluated using one of the procedures laid down in the Specification and is stored and packed in
undertakings listed in the registers of packing and marketing undertakings kept by the Regulatory
Board. Rice passing the checks carried out at all stages of the production and packing process as well
as the physico-chemical and organoleptic tests is marketed bearing the label and the secondary label of
the protected designation of origin and, where appropriate, the numbered quality label issued by the
Regulatory Board.

4.5. Method of production: The production process entails the following stages: sowing; sprouting; tillering;

stem elongation, coming into ear, flowering and ripening of the grain.

Sowing is carried out between mid-April and the beginning of May, using 35-38 kg/jornal
(160-175 kg/ha) if not crushed and 45-50 kg/jornal (205-228 kg/ha) if crushed and depending on the
varieties, leaving the fields flooded under 5 to 10 cm of water.

After 15-20 days, the seed sprouts, producing the plant. At the same time, weeds, algae and wild rice
grow. At this point, the crop is treated with selective herbicides to eliminate unwanted plants that
would compete with the rice. Where conditions favour the growth of wild rice, the land is treated
before sowing to remove the build-up of mud.

In addition to the basal dressing before sowing, a top dressing is applied in June to provide additional
nitrogen.

Between mid-June and mid-July, tillering occurs, during which time water is added, to a level of
15-20 cm, and continually renewed.

At the beginning of September, the water level
in some cases
extending until the first ten days of October. Harvesting begins when the Regulatory Board declares
that the rice is ripe enough. The ideal time to harvest the rice is when the moisture content of the
grain is between 18 and 21 %.

is reduced and harvesting begins,

On arrival at the processing plant, the rice is placed in special driers to bring the moisture content of
the grain down to a maximum of 14-15 % and is then placed in storage in silos.

In order to maintain the rice in optimal condition during its time in the silos awaiting processing, air
is pumped into it at intervals, preferably cold (5 °C — produced by cooling units) or at ambient
temperature.

When ready to be processed, the rice is removed from the silos, the impurities removed and the husk
removed using grindstones or rubber rollers. Then the rice passes to densimetric tables, where grains
retaining the husk or part of the husk are separated out and returned for dehusking a second time.

The whole grains after dehusking are referred to as husked or ‘cargo’ rice, sometimes also known as
whole-grain rice. After the head or pericarp has been removed, the rice is milled using abrasive stones
to obtain white rice.

The whole and broken (medium-sized) grains, the embryo (germ), fragments of the embryo and other
by-products are then separated to give the final milled product.

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The final operation is the removal of the defective grains (green or red) via colour classification. A final
selection can still be made at this stage, i.e. prior to packing, by injecting air or using a vibration
system.

The packing process is automated and the rice is packed in an assortment of packaging, all of which is
approved for the PDO. Each package contains one variety of rice of ‘Extra’ quality. In order to guar-
antee the product's traceability, the packaging will have to comply with all the checks and standards
described in the Specification.

4.6. Link:

Histori cal

Rice originates in South-East Asia, specifically in ancient China, from which it spread more than three
thousand years ago to the rest of Asia and the Middle East. Its production was then extended to the
Mediterranean, appearing in Spain around the VIIIth century during the Moorish period, the modern
Spanish name ‘arroz’ deriving from the Arabic ‘al-ruzz’.

Rice is a traditional crop in the Ebro Delta, closely linked to the formation and the physical and geolo-
gical development of the Ebro Delta. The special characteristics of the Ebro Delta area have helped
spread the reputation of rice from the area among consumers, who rapidly associate it with its origin.

There are numerous written references confirming the link between traditional rice production and the
area of the Ebro Delta. The principal among these is the ‘Geografía de Catalunya’ (Geography of
Catalonia) by Lluís Solé y Sabaris (1958), who writes that ‘there is evidence of attempts to grow rice in the
Ebro Delta in the XVth century; however, rice production reached its height in the XIXth century’. The same
work also states that ‘… in the Delta, which was used for grazing transhumant livestock, the Canal de la
Derecha, constructed in Xerta in the second half of the XIXth century, permitted flooding with fresh water and
the introduction of rice growing which has increased continuously, desalting salt-affected land and at the same
time producing a good crop …’.

One of the earliest references dates back to 1697, when the Cistercian monks of the Benifassar Monas-
tery experimented with rice-growing on their lands in the Carrova flood zone and peat bogs. Although
the results were encouraging, production was unable to continue since, without an irrigation system,
the land could not be flooded.

Around 1857, the Canal de la Derecha reached Amposta, making large-scale rice production possible.

In 1872, the Canal de la Izquierda was begun, being completed on 5 May 1912. In 1907, land owners
in the Northern delta, or the ‘delta izquierdo’ formed the ‘Comunidad de Regantes-Sindicato Agrícola
del Ebro’ (Association of ‘Regantes’ (land-owners with the right to irrigate) — Agricultural Union of
the Ebro). The two canals would allow the transformation of the area's agriculture and a huge increase
in the area devoted to rice production.

Natural

— Landscape and soil:

The development of rice production in the Ebro Delta has been influenced both by the characteris-
tics of the climate and soil and by the land's salinity and the level of the water table. The land of
the Delta is very flat, with 60 % of it lying at less than one metre above sea level (and at certain
points, below sea level); 30 % at between one and two metres and only 10 % above two metres.

The soils are alluvial, formed by sedimentation, giving them a very pronounced stratification,
which makes it difficult to assign a specific soil type to the whole of the Delta. The top soil has the
texture of river mud and is of varying depth. It is very suitable for agricultural production and its
formation is closely linked to the filling of the irrigation basins. The higher areas have finely
textured subsoils.

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Lower areas have a noticeable marine influence. Storms deposit enormous quantities of sand on
the alluvium. Bores reveal the presence in these areas of thin layers of silt between much thicker
layers of sand of a uniform, medium texture and saturated with highly saline ground water. In
infiltration, organic material has built up,
badly drained areas or areas with continuous lateral
forming large bodies of peat. Among these high, low and peaty areas, the remaining and largest
areas of land are made up of a mix of clays, silt and sand in proportions that vary as one moves
away from the river and towards the sea.

— Climate:

The Delta lies within a zone whose climate is totally determined by the Mediterranean. The climate
can be considered to be a Mediterranean maritime climate, i.e. warm and dry. The winters are mild,
without excessive cold or much rain and with dominant, dry N-NW winds. Summers are hot and
extremely dry, with subtropical
temperatures, calm atmospheric conditions and humid S-SE
breezes. Rainfall is not excessive and is irregular and tends to be concentrated in the spring and
autumn. There is considerable humidity throughout the year.

— Hydrographical system:

The area's hydrographical system is the River Ebro. The fact that all irrigation waters come from
the Ebro ensures that production in the area has uniform characteristics that differ from those of
rice grown elsewhere. The water used for irrigation is of high quality, aided by the fact that the
population is small and there is little industry on the banks of the River Ebro. The canals and the
irrigation systems are managed by the respective ‘Comunidades de Regantes’ and ‘Sindicatos de
Riego’ (Irrigation Associations).

In conclusion, and to summarise, the product can be said to be of uniform quality since, although
there is a principal variety, the characteristics of the final product of all varieties — with the exception
of the ‘bomba’ variety — are similar. The variety is not the only cause of variation in final products:
the geographical area, the environment, the climate, the water and the ripening process all have a
strong influence and all these factors vary very little throughout the production area.

The features of the area's natural environment influence the rice's characteristics. The area's climate
and soil, the salinity and the level of the water table ensure that rice is the only crop grown within the
defined area. The ricefields of the Delta are ideal for this crop, giving yields that are among the highest
in the world, as is appropriate given their position on the 40th parallel North and the 19 °C isotherm.

Rice from the area has a proven reputation among consumers for its pearled white colour, its flavour
and its texture conferred by the characteristics of the varieties used and the production area. The rice is
also valued for its cooking properties, with grains that do not stick (adhesion of grains 7,3) and high
water absorption (1,93 grams of water for each gram of rice), ensuring a high uptake of flavours in the
various dishes for which this rice is used.

4.7.

Inspection body:

Name:

Calitax

Address: Tuset, 10

E-08006 Barcelona

Tel.

Fax

(34) 932 17 27 03

(34) 932 18 51 95

E-mail: —

The competent authority affirms that the inspection body complies with standard EN-45011.

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4.8. Labelling:

The labels and secondary labels, or in general the quality labels, are numbered and issued by the
Regulatory Board and are affixed in registered packing undertakings in such as way as to prevent their
re-use.

Labels must bear the words ‘Denominación de Origen Protegida “Arroz del Delta del Ebro” or “Arròs
del Delta de l'Ebre”’, the serial number and any other information laid down in the relevant legislation.