Publication of an amendment 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: 2010-03-16
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Italy, designation of origin, labelling, location of production, meat product, mode of production, product designation, product quality








C_2010064EN.01003201.xml










16.3.2010   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 64/32





Publication of an amendment 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
2010/C 64/09
This publication confers the right to object to the amendment application pursuant to Article 7 of Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 (1). Statements of objection must reach the Commission within six months of the date of this publication.
AMENDMENT APPLICATION

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006


Amendment application in accordance with Article 9


‘PANCETTA PIACENTINA’


EC No: IT-PDO-0117-1497-31.10.2001


PGI ( ) PDO ( X )

1.   Heading in the product specification affected by the amendment:










Name of product









Description of product







Geographical area







Proof of origin









Method of production









Link









Labelling







National requirements









Other — inspection system




2.   Type of amendment:










Amendment to single document or summary sheet









Amendment to specification of registered PDO or PGI for which neither the single document nor summary sheet has been published







Amendment to specification that requires no amendment to the published single document (Article 9(3) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006)







Temporary amendment to specification resulting from imposition of obligatory sanitary or phytosanitary measures by public authorities (Article 9(4) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006)




3.   Amendment(s):







1.


In Article 2(1):
‘ “Pancetta Piacentina” is a product obtained from pig herds in the regions of Lombardy and Emilia Romagna.’,
has been replaced by:
‘Pig herds for the production of “Pancetta Piacentina” must be located in the regions of Lombardy and Emilia Romagna.’ (1)










2.


In Article 2(4):
‘The pigs must weigh at least 160 kg (with a 10 % margin of tolerance),’,
has been replaced by:
‘The pigs must weigh 160 kg (with a 10 % margin of tolerance),’. (2)










3.


In Article 2(6):
‘The certificate of the slaughterhouse’,
has been replaced by:
‘The document of the slaughterhouse’. (3)










4.


In Article 3(1):
‘For the manufacture …’,
has been replaced by:
‘For the production …’. (4)










5.


In Article 3(3) and (4):
‘After salting, the pancette must be kept for at least 24 hours in cold storage until they reach an internal temperature of between 0 °C and 2 °C.
If the pancette are taken to a processing plant, this must be done within 24 hours using refrigerated containers.’,
has been replaced by:
‘The pancette must be taken to a processing plant within 72 hours using refrigerated containers.
The shaped and trimmed pancette must be kept in cold storage until they are salted.’ (5)










6.


In Article 4(1):







‘sea salt


:


27 % to 30 %




sodium nitrate


:


up to 150 ppm




black pepper


:


40 g to 50 g per 100 kg




cloves


:


30 g to 40 g per 100 kg




sugars


:


1,5 %




ascorbate E301


:


0,2 %.’,




has been replaced by:
‘Amounts per 100 kg of fresh meat
—   sodium chloride: min 1,5 kg; max 3,5 kg
—   sodium and potassium nitrate: max 15 g
—   black and/or white pepper in grains and/or crushed: min 30 g; max 50 g
—   cloves: max 40 g
—   sugars: max 1,5 kg
—   sodium L-ascorbate (E301): max 200 g.’ (6)









7.


In Article 4(3):
‘relative humidity of 70-80 % for about 15 days.’,
has been replaced by:
‘relative humidity of 70-80 % for at least 10 days.’ (7)










8.


In Article 4(5):
‘After salting and trimming, the pancette are rolled, with the possible addition of lean meat in line with the requirements in Article 2. Finally, uncovered parts of the rind are covered with pieces of pig's bladder at the outer edges and vegetable paper along their length so as to provide a natural protection during maturation.’,
has been replaced by:
‘After salting and trimming, the pancette are rolled, with the possible addition of lean meat from pigs satisfying the requirements of Article 2. Finally, the uncovered ends of the rind are covered with pieces of pig's bladder, abdominal wall or gut. The side seam is covered with pieces of a pig's abdominal wall or gut, or vegetable paper so as to provide a natural protection during maturation. The pancette are then bound with string.’ (8)









9.


In Article 4(7):
‘… at a temperature of around 20 °C …,’
has been replaced by:
‘… at a temperature of between 15 °C and 25 °C …’ (9)










10.


In Article 5(1):
‘Once the product has dried, the maturation phase begins and must continue for at least two months.’,
has been replaced by:
‘The maturation phase must last for at least three months from the date of salting.’ (10)










11.


In Article 5(2):
‘… relative humidity of 70-80 %.’,
has been replaced by:
‘… relative humidity of 70-90 %.’ (11)










12.


In Article 6(1):
‘When put up for consumption, “Pancetta Piacentina” has the following organoleptic, chemical, chemical and physical, and microbiological characteristics:’,
has been replaced by:
‘When put up for consumption, “Pancetta Piacentina” has the following organoleptic and chemical and physical characteristics:’. (12)










13.


In the first subparagraph of Article 6(1):







‘Weight


:


5 to 8 kg’,




has been replaced by:







‘Weight


:


4 to 8 kg’.




 (13)










14.


The second subparagraph of Article 6(1) (see below) has been deleted:
‘Microbiological characteristics:






Total microbial load


= 9,3 107




Micrococcaceae


= 1,5 104




Coagulase positive


 




Staphylococci


< 30




Lactic bacteria


= 3,0 107




Enterobacteria


< 3.’



 (14)









15.


In the third subparagraph of Article 6(1):






‘Moisture (%)


= 37,31




Protein (N × 6,25)


= 15,81




Fat (%)


= 41,42




Ash (%)


= 4,84




Cholesterol (mg/100 g)


= 63




pH


= 5,60.’,




has been replaced by:







 


‘MIN


MAX




Moisture (%)


25


41




Protein (%)


9


16,5




Fats (%)


38


63




Ash (%)


2


5,5




pH


5


6.’




 (15)










16.


Article 7 now reads as follows:
‘The requirements of “Pancetta Piacentina” depend on the environmental conditions and natural and human factors. In particular, the properties of the raw material are closely linked to the geographical area. In the area which is the source of the raw material, as referred to in Article 2, the development of livestock farming is linked to the widespread cultivation of cereal crops and to working methods in the highly specialised dairy sector which have encouraged pig farming locally.
The localised processing of “Pancetta Piacentina” is warranted by the conditions in the area referred to in point 4.3. The environmental factors are closely linked to the features of the area of production, with its cool and verdant valleys and its wooded hills which have a decisive influence on the climate and on the characteristics of the finished product.
This combination of raw material/product/designation is linked to the socioeconomic development of the area and has connotations that cannot be reproduced elsewhere.’ (16)









17.


In Article 8:
‘Without prejudice to the responsibilities assigned by law to the official veterinarian (USL) for the establishment — who, under Section IV “Monitoring of production” of Legislative Decree No 537 of 30 December 1992, ensures and by means of appropriate inspection monitors that meat-based products comply with the production criteria determined by the producer and in particular that the composition of the product actually corresponds to what is stated on the label; being particularly responsible for this task where trade name rules apply within the meaning of Section V(4) of the above Legislative Decree (trade name followed by a reference to the national act or legislation authorising its use) — implementation of this product specification shall be supervised by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry Resources, which may for the purposes of supervising and monitoring production and trade use the services of the producers’ consortium or another body set up by producers for the same purpose in accordance with Article 10 of Regulation (EEC) No 2081/92.’,
has been replaced by:
‘Implementation of this product specification shall be supervised by a private body authorised in accordance with Article 10 of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 of 20 March 2006.’ (17)









18.


In Article 9(1):
‘… Registered Designation of Origin.’,
has been replaced by:
‘… Protected Designation of Origin.’ (18)




APPLICATION TO AMEND THE PRODUCT SPECIFICATION FOR ‘PANCETTA PIACENTINA’ PDO
EXPLANATORY NOTES ON THE AMENDMENTS IN THE STANDARD SUMMARY






(1)


This is a purely formal amendment to clarify the sentence on the location of the pig herds, which remains unchanged.










(2)


This amendment is to correct a mistake in the previous specification as regards the pigs’ minimum weight, which was referred to as being ‘at least’ two different values; the reference is amended so that the pigs’ weight must fall within a range around one specific value (160 kg).










(3)


This is a straightforward correction of the word ‘certificate’ in the previous specification by the more appropriate ‘document’.










(4)


This is a purely formal amendment replacing the word ‘manufacture’ with the more appropriate ‘production’.










(5)


This amendment ensures that the taking of the pancette to a processing plant is no longer referred to as a possibility only and it is stipulated that this must take place within 72 hours of slaughter using refrigerated containers.
Also, the requirement that the pancette be kept in cold storage for 24 hours until they reach an internal temperature of between 0 °C and 2 °C has been deleted as what matters is the temperature reached rather than the length of time. It is also important that the pancette arrive at the processing plant at a suitable temperature, as specified above.










(6)


For the mixture of natural salts and flavourings, minimum and/or maximum amounts of individual ingredients have been introduced or made more precise so as to allow each producer to personalise the recipe, bearing in mind that this is nevertheless a traditional product.










(7)


This amendment widens the range for relative humidity (from 70-80 % to 70-90 %) and cuts the minimum period for keeping the pancette in cold storage after salting from 15 to 10 days — respecting these redefined parameters will still ensure that the product takes on its particular characteristics.










(8)


This amendment addresses an element of imprecision in the previous specification: the reference to the requirements of Article 2 (for added meat) was inappropriate as Article 2 defines the production area, not the characteristics of the raw material. It is also made clear that not only pieces of pig's bladder may be placed on the uncovered outer edges of the rind, as other types of gut (as long as they are from pigs) can also be used to protect the product. The specification is therefore updated accordingly. Vegetable paper does not have to be used to cover the side seam — it may also be possible to use natural gut, as long as this is from pigs. Finally, mention is made of the binding with string that was omitted from the previous specification.










(9)


A more precise temperature is given for the drying period, with ‘about 20 °C’ being replaced by a precise range (between 15 °C and 25 °C).










(10)


This amendment provides for a longer maturation period (at least three months from the date of salting) as this improves the characteristics of the product.










(11)


This amendment follows on from the previous one: a longer maturation period requires a higher moisture level (up to 90 %) so that the product loses water steadily and more slowly.










(12)


This is a formal amendment only, involving the deletion of ‘microbiological characteristics’ for the reasons given in note 15 below and the reference to ‘chemical characteristics’ because it is superfluous, these being included in ‘chemical and physical characteristics’.










(13)


This amendment reduces the minimum weight of the pancette to 4 kg in view of actual technical, production and traditional requirements.










(14)


The reference to microbiological characteristics has been dropped, the description being regarded as superfluous given that the relevant parameters and limits apply in any case by virtue of the sanitary rules in force.










(15)


This amendment regarding the chemical and physical characteristics is needed to correct some mistakes in the previous specification as regards the minimum values and ranges for certain parameters; also, some parameters have been dropped as they are not necessary for establishing whether or not a product is suitable. Finally, some ranges that did not reflect the actual characteristics of the matured product (see attached statistical summary of analyses) have been duly reconsidered and amended.










(16)


The proposed amendment involves the inclusion in the product specification of an article on the link between the designation and the production area. This is required to bring the specification into line with Article 4(2) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006.










(17)


This amendment, on controls, is necessary as Article 7 of the previous product specification ran counter to Article 10 of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 and the relevant national implementing rules.










(18)


The previous reference to ‘Registered Designation of Origin’ was wrong and is therefore replaced by ‘Protected Designation of Origin’.




SUMMARY

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006


‘PANCETTA PIACENTINA’


EC No: IT-PDO-0117-1497-31.10.2001


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:


Ministero delle politiche agricole alimentari e forestali




Address:







Via XX Settembre 20




00187 Roma RM




ITALIA








Tel.


+39 0646655104




Fax


+39 0646655306




E-mail:


saco7@politicheagricole.gov.it




2.   Group:







Name:


Consorzio della Coppa Piacentina, del Salame Piacentino, della Pancetta Piacentina a Denominazione di Origine Protetta




Address:







Via Colombo 35




29100 Piacenza PC




ITALIA








Tel.


+39 0523591260




Fax


+39 0523608714




E-mail:


salumi.piacentini@libero.it




Composition:


Producers/processors ( X ) Other ( )




3.   Type of product:







Class 1.2 —


Meat products




4.   Specification:

(summary of requirements under Article 4(2) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006)
4.1.   Name:

‘Pancetta Piacentina’
4.2.   Description:

‘Pancetta Piacentina’ is a salted, naturally matured product, to be kept uncooked. It is produced from the fatty layer covering the stomach area of the half-carcase from the retrosternal to the inguinal area, and the abdominal muscle tissue.
The finished product is cylindrical in shape, weighs between 4 kg and 8 kg, and is bright red with clear white from the fatty parts. The meat has a pleasant mild smell and a savoury taste.
‘Pancetta Piacentina’ comes from pigs that are born, raised and slaughtered in Emilia Romagna and Lombardy.
4.3.   Geographical area:

The production area includes the whole territory of the province of Piacenza, but only those parts below 900 m above sea level, where particular climatic conditions prevail.
4.4.   Proof of origin:

Each stage in the production process is monitored, with all inputs and outputs recorded. This, along with the compilation of specific registers managed by the inspection body for breeders, slaughterers, producers and maturers, and timely notification to the inspection body of the quantities produced, ensures product traceability. All operators, whether legal or natural persons, registered in the relevant lists are subject to checks by the inspection body.
4.5.   Method of production:

Production of ‘Pancetta Piacentina’ entails the following phases: trimming; dry salting; binding; drying and maturation.
Maturation runs from the start of salting and must last at least 3 months.
4.6.   Link:

The requirements of ‘Pancetta Piacentina’ depend on the environmental conditions and natural and human factors. In particular, the properties of the raw material are closely linked to the geographical area. In the area which is the source of the raw material, as referred to in point 4.2, the development of livestock farming is linked to the widespread cultivation of cereal crops and to working methods in the highly specialised dairy sector which have encouraged pig farming locally.
The localised processing of ‘Pancetta Piacentina’ is warranted by the conditions in the area referred to in point 4.3. The environmental factors are closely linked to the features of the area of production, with its cool, verdant valleys and wooded hills which have a decisive influence on the climate and the characteristics of the finished product.
This combination of raw material/product/designation is linked to the socioeconomic development of the area and has associations that cannot be reproduced elsewhere.
4.7.   Inspection body:







Name:


E.CE.PA. — Ente Certificazione Prodotti Agroalimentari




Address:







Strada dell’Anselma 5




29100 Piacenza PC




ITALIA








Tel.


+39 0523609662




Fax


+39 0523644447




E-mail:


amministrazione@ecepa.it




4.8.   Labelling:

When put up for consumption, the product must bear the words ‘Pancetta Piacentina’.
The designation ‘Pancetta Piacentina’ must appear on the label in clear, indelible letters wholly distinguishable from any other wording and followed immediately by the term ‘Denominazione di Origine Protetta’ (Protected Designation of Origin).
Any other description not expressly allowed is prohibited, including the following words: type, taste, use, picked, selected or similar.
However, the use of indications which make reference to names, company names and private brands is authorised, provided they have no laudatory purport and are not such as to mislead the consumer, as are names of pig farms from which the product comes.


(1)  OJ L 93, 31.3.2006, p. 12.