Publication of an amendment application pursuant to Article 50(2)(a) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs
Date: 2013-06-25
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Spain, consumer information, designation of origin, foodstuff, pigmeat, product designation








C_2013179EN.01004001.xml










25.6.2013   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 179/40





Publication of an amendment application pursuant to Article 50(2)(a) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs
2013/C 179/10
This publication confers the right to oppose the amendment application, pursuant to Article 51 of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council (1).
AMENDMENT APPLICATION

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006


on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs
 (2)


AMENDMENT APPLICATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH ARTICLE 9


‘JAMÓN DE TREVÉLEZ’


EC No: ES-PGI-0105-0997-11.05.2012


PGI ( X ) PDO ( )

1.   Heading in the specification affected by the amendment








—





Name




—


☒


Description




—





Geographical area




—


☒


Proof of origin




—


☒


Method of production




—





Link




—





Labelling




—


☒


National requirements




—


☒


Other (to be specified)




2.   Type of amendment(s)








—


☒


Amendment to Single Document or Summary Sheet




—





Amendment to Specification of registered PDO or PGI for which neither the Single Document nor the Summary 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)

3.1.   Replacement throughout the document of the traditional term ‘specific name’ by ‘Protected Geographical Indication’

REASON: Article 8 of Regulation (EEC) No 2081/92 of 14 July 1992 allowed the use of either PDO/PGI or the equivalent traditional national indications (an order of 25 January 1994 published in BOE No 23 of 27 January 1994 listed the two sets of corresponding terms). The current legislation makes no provision for using traditional national terms but only the Community symbols or indications as laid down in Article 8(2) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006, of 20 March 2006, which entered into force on 1 May 2009, without prejudice to products already placed on the market before that date.
3.2.   Description: Saltiness (Section B: Description)

In the paragraph as it stands:

‘Saltiness: Expressed as a maximum sodium chloride content of 10 % on the trimmed dry product, analysed on a cross-cut portion of the ham taken 4 cm from the top of the femur trimmed of its rind’

the words ‘on the trimmed dry product’ should now read ‘of the product in its natural state’.
REASON: At present there is no requirement that the results be expressed according to the type of sample, and because the expression ‘trimmed dry product’ does not clearly tell the consumer anything about the amount of salt entailed in consuming the product, a more accurate and easily comprehensible wording has been preferred. So far as the consumer is concerned, this cut gives a better impression of how salty or otherwise the product is than does the trimmed dry sample, which in any event is not how the consumer experiences the product.
As a result of the changes to the type of sample, the maximum sodium chloride content varies from 10 % (on the trimmed dry product) to 5 % (of the product in its natural state), since the ‘Jamón de Trevélez’ is characterised by a fat infiltration of between 5 % and 10 % depending on the type of the ham, and a total average humidity of 50 %.
The final sentence reads as follows:

‘Saltiness: Expressed as a maximum sodium chloride content of 5 % or less on the product in the natural state, analysed on a cross-cut portion of the ham taken 4 cm from the top of the femur trimmed of its rind.’

3.3.   Classification stage. Evidence that the product is made in the area (Section D)

In the paragraph as it stands:

‘The final classification of the hams takes place following final checks and verification of the ageing and curing period of the ham and its qualitative characteristics, in which each piece must bear the numbered seal allotted to it when the product is received’

the final part of the sentence, ‘when the product is received’, should now read ‘during the production process’.
REASON: The paragraph has been amended because the working method has changed: previously, the label was attached when the product was first classified on reception, which meant that some labels had to be torn off during the production process if it was found not to meet the standards for ‘Jamón de Trevélez’. Now the numbered label is allocated for the final classification of the product during its processing.
There is no way of knowing in the early stage whether the product will meet the specifications.
3.4.   Method of production Production (Section E). Production stage: Salting

The following paragraph has been removed:

‘Salting is carried out exclusively in October and March. However, depending on the weather, the Regulatory Council may extend or curtail the period.’

REASON: This paragraph is removed as a result of the ban on production during April to September because the health and hygiene rules under Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 laying down specific hygiene rules for food of animal origin require salting to be carried out under controlled temperature to prevent the growth of pathogenic micro-organisms. Provided these conditions are monitored, production may start at any time of the year. There need not be a permanent authorisation of the Regulatory Council to extend the deadline since it does not change according to the climatic conditions because the latter controlled.
3.5.   Method of production Production (Section E). Production stage: Post-salting stage

In the paragraph worded as follows:

‘The cut pieces then proceed to the post-salting stage, which takes place in a natural atmosphere, with the aim of drying the ham slowly and steadily, thus ensuring the even distribution of the salt within the muscle of the cut piece’

the words ‘which takes place in a natural atmosphere’ have been removed.
REASON: The current legislation as well as all the studies and research carried out on this basic step in the production of ham show that the ‘post-salting stage’ must be carried out under controlled conditions with regard to temperature and humidity to ensure at all times the safety of the product.
In the paragraph:

‘The Regulatory Board, exceptionally and depending on weather patterns, may authorise that this process is carried out under controlled temperature and relative humidity as follows: temperature between 3 and 7 °C and relative humidity between 75 and 85 %. The process will be of a maximum of 30 days’

the words: ‘The Regulatory Board, exceptionally and depending on weather patterns, may authorise that …’ are to be deleted.
REASON: It is not the Regulatory Board but the current legislation, as well as all the studies and research carried out on this basic step in the production of ham, that shows that the ‘post-salting stage’ must be carried out under controlled conditions of temperature and humidity to ensure at all times the safety of the product and to maintain its cold chain.
The following is to be added to the preceding paragraph: ‘The temperature and humidity are to be progressively adjusted during the process to the conditions prevailing in the natural drying unit, according to the time of the year.’
REASON: In order to avoid breaking the cold chain when going from the ‘post-salting’ stage to the natural drying stage, in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs.
The sentence which reads: ‘The processing period shall be a maximum of 30 days’ is to be changed to read: ‘The processing period shall be a maximum of 90 days’.
REASON: It appears that the period set out in the Specifications for the post-salting stage of 30 days was established having regard to the period when the hams entered the salting stage; this could only be from October to March and depended on the climatic conditions, so that the hams could only be a maximum of 30 days in the post-salting stage during these months when the temperature and humidity were most suitable and could go on to the next stage, that of drying, under similar temperature and humidity conditions.
3.6.   Inspection body (Section G)

Section G — ‘Inspection body’ — is renamed ‘Check on Compliance with the Specifications’ and all the earlier content is replaced with the following:

‘The check on compliance with the specifications before the product is placed on the market is made in accordance with Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 of 20 March 2006.
The competent inspection body is the Dirección General de Calidad, Industrias Agroalimentarias y Producción Ecológica (Directorate-General for Quality, Agri-Food Industries and Organic Production) of the Consejería de Agricultura, Pesca y Medio Ambiente (Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and the Environment) of the Junta de Andalucía — C/ Tabladilla, s/n — 41071 Sevilla — Tel. +34 955032278, Fax +34 955032112, email: dg-ciape.sscc.capma@juntadeandalucia.es
Information on the bodies tasked with checking compliance with the requirements set out in the specifications may be found at the following address:
http://www.juntadeandalucia.es/agriculturaypesca/portal/areas-tematicas/industrias-agroalimentarias/calidad-y-promocion-agroalimentaria/denominaciones-de-calidad/jamones-y-paletas.html
The specific functions will depend on checks made on compliance with the specifications before the product is placed on the market.’

REASON: Changes to the wording proposed in order to prevent the section becoming redundant.
The proposed wording gives the competent authority and provides a reference to its website showing the bodies responsible for checking compliance with the product specifications.
3.7.   National legislative requirements (Section I)

The paragraph is amended in order to bring it up do date with the applicable law, including legislation at Community level.
SINGLE DOCUMENT

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006


on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs
 (3)

‘JAMÓN DE TREVÉLEZ’

EC No: ES-PGI-0105-0997-11.05.2012


PGI ( X ) PDO ( )

1.   Title

‘Jamón de Trevélez’
2.   Member State or third country

Spain
3.   Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1.   Product type







Class 1.2.


Meat products (cooked, salted, smoked, etc.)




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

The type of pigs suitable for the production of hind quarters for the production of the ham covered by the ‘Jamón de Trevélez’ Protected Geographical Indication are those obtained from crosses of Landrace, Large–White Duroc–Jersey pigs.
The characteristics of the hams covered by the ‘Jamón de Trevélez’ Protected Geographical Indication are the following:






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Rounded shape, with rind and leg on.










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Minimum ageing of 14, 17 or 20 months according to the weight of the fresh ham.










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Red and shiny when cut, with partial fat infiltration in the muscle tissue.










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Meat of a delicate, lightly salted flavour.










—


Salinity of the product in its natural state (PNS) expressed as % of sodium chloride: ≤ 5. Testing for salinity shall be carried out no later than 1 month from the date when the ham complies with all specifications to be classed as ‘Jamón de Trevélez’.




(analysed on a portion of ham taken 4 cm from the head of the femur trimmed of its rind).
Consistency of the fat: unctuous, shiny, yellowish-white colour and pleasant to the taste.
3.3.   Raw materials (for processed products only)

Hind quarters intended for the preparation of the ham covered by the ‘Jamón de Trevélez’ Protected Geographical Indication obtained from crosses of Landrace, Large–White and Duroc–Jersey pigs.
Only those hind quarters whose subcutaneous fat layer is of the following thickness may be used in the production of the protected ham:






—


Minimum 1 cm with infiltrated fat for a weight less than 12,3 kg.










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Minimum 1,5 cm with infiltrated fat for a weight ranging from 12,3 to 13,5 kg.










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Minimum 2 cm for a weight greater than 13,5 kg.




The hind quarters must be from castrated males or from females.
Only those hind quarters which have a pH of between 5,5 and 6,4 in the semimembranosus muscle may be used in the manufacture of ham covered by the ‘Jamón de Trevélez’ Protected Geographical Indication. The pH level is measured 24 hours post mortem.
The weight of the fresh hams is greater than 11,3 kg.
Transportation of the hind legs from the slaughterhouse to the curing and maturing premises is always carried out in vehicles which comply with the regulations in force and are such that they arrive at the salting unit registering between 1 and 3 °C when measured in the thick part of the cut and below 4 °C at 1 cm from the surface.
The salt used is additive-free sea salt.
3.4.   Feed (for products of animal origin only)

Not applicable.
3.5.   Specific steps in production that must take place in the defined geographical area







1.


Salting










2.


Washing










3.


Post-salting










4.


Drying-maturation




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

Not applicable.
3.7.   Specific rules concerning labelling

The labelling must bear the words: Indicación Geográfica Protegida ‘Jamón de Trevélez’.



4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

The production area for the ‘Jamón de Trevélez’ Protected Geographical Indication is located in the province of Granada on the southeastern-facing slopes of the Sierra Nevada, in the highest part of the district, known as the Alpujarra. It consists of the natural area in which the factors of altitude, temperature and humidity, among others, give the product the particular qualities which have traditionally characterised it.
It includes those parts of the following municipalities at over 1 200 m: Trevélez, Juviles, Busquístar, Pórtugos, La Taha, Bubión, Capileira and Bérchules in the province of Granada.
All the municipalities are within the Sierra Nevada National Park and are part of Granada’s ‘Alpujarras’.
5.   Link with the geographical area

5.1.   Specificity of the geographical area

‘Jamón de Trevélez’ owes its particular organoleptic characteristics to the natural environment (the middle area of the Sierra Nevada Natural Park) where it is produced, and it is this environment, climate and vegetation which allows special microbial flora to grow in the product. Thus, above 1 200 m and 1 900 m, where the ‘Jamón de Trevélez’ is produced, may be found the holm oak woods of Sierra Nevada as well as a large number of the plant species that are native to the Sierra Nevada.
The factors of altitude, temperature and humidity, among others, which are characteristic of the area, give the product during the maturation stage those particular qualities which have traditionally characterised it.
The specialised production methods consist of controlling the period of exposure of the product to salt according to the size of each piece with the aim of ensuring that the ham takes in just the right amount of salt, avoiding excessive amounts, in order to stabilise the product and allow a long curing period. After the post-salting stage and during the period of maturation, a proper assessment of the look and the appearance of the ham and the environmental conditions (temperature and humidity) of the various areas of the drying houses allow the producer to give the ham the slow gradual cure the product requires. Two kinds of operation are carried out during the curing process: the hams are moved to the most suitable areas of the drying unit according to temperature and humidity; and natural vents (windows) are opened or closed in order to achieve the best temperature and humidity.
5.2.   Specificity of the product

‘Jamón de Trevélez’ PGI relies on the special reputation of the product.
‘Jamón de Trevélez’ is recognised as a unique product linked to the Alpujarra Granadina area for over 200 years, which is attested to by numerous bibliographical references from the 19th Century and by recognised authors of the time such as Pedro Antonio de Alarcón, the Spanish novelist born in Guadix in 1833.
Cervantes also knew about the existence of these hams, which he mentioned in his writings.
Gregorio Marañón, Spanish writer and thinker born in Madrid in 1887 and a friend of the Alpujarra politician Natalio Rivas spoke highly of the Jamón de Trevélez and remarking on the qualities of gazpacho andaluz to the latter, he said that ‘all it needs is a few shavings of ‘Jamón de Trevélez’ to be a food of near perfection.’
But the most important moment in the history of ‘Jamón de Trevélez’ took place on 12 October 1862 when Queen Isabel II granted the Council of the Municipality de Trevélez the privilege of being official supplier to the Palace, enabling it to affix on the hams the royal stamp bearing the words: ‘awarded by Her Majesty Queen Isabel II in 1862, Trevélez’, thus recognising the quality of the ham.
‘Jamón de Trevélez’ was taken abroad by Victoria Eugenia de Montijo, wife of Napoleon III and Empress Consort of France, who introduced ‘Jamón de Trevélez’ to the table of the Court (the famous ‘Cuisine Française’).
The distinguishing characteristics of ‘Jamón de Trevélez’ are:






—


the long slow ageing process in natural conditions










—


low salt content as a result of the strict control of the salt added










—


absence of nitrate additives E250 and E252 or of any other type during the ageing process.




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)

‘Jamón de Trevélez’ is recognised and has been linked to the Alpujarra Alta district for over 200 years; the artisanal knowledge and methods have been maintained ever since and transmitted by generations of ham-makers, expert craftsmen of the natural curing method, and the know-how of these artisans directly influences the characteristics of the ‘Jamón de Trevélez’.
The geographical environment and the climate of the area also influences the characteristics of the final product; between 1 200 metres and the summits of the Sierra Nevada lies the cold zone, which receives heavy snow in winter and is swept by sharp winds from Sierra Nevada, and is cool in summer, which makes possible the natural curing of the ham manufactured in the area, which differentiates it from all others.
It is these environmental conditions of cold winters and cool summers which make it possible to cure the hams for extended periods under natural conditions. This in turn allows the product to be made with a low salt content, providing each ham with just the right amount of salt and the time for the slow and gradual maturing process which the ham requires, in the air of Trevélez, and in the absence of any other artificial preservatives such as nitrates because the prevailing temperatures allow the drying to take place in safe conditions, so conserving the microbiological and organoleptic characteristics of the product.

Reference to the publication of the specification

(Article 5(7) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 (4))
The full text of the Product Specification is available by following the link:
http://www.juntadeandalucia.es/agriculturaypesca/portal/export/sites/default/comun/galerias/galeriaDescargas/cap/industrias-agroalimentarias/denominacion-de-origen/Pliegos/Pliego_modificado_Jamon_Trevelez.pdf
or via the homepage of the Regional Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and the Environment (http://www.juntadeandalucia.es/agriculturaypesca/portal), by following the navigation pathway: ‘Industrias Agroalimentarias’/‘Calidad y Promoción’/‘Denominaciones de Calidad’/‘Jamones y Paletas’; the specifications are located under the name of the protected indication.


(1)  OJ L 343, 14.12.2012, p. 1.

(2)  OJ L 93, 31.3.2006, p. 12. Replaced by Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.

(3)  Replaced by Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.

(4)  See footnote 3.