Publication of an 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: 2014-05-21
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Italy, bakery, consumer information, designation of origin, foodstuff, product designation




C_2014153EN.01000901.xml










21.5.2014   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 153/9





Publication of an 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
(2014/C 153/05)
This publication confers the right to oppose the application pursuant to Article 51 of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council (1).
SINGLE DOCUMENT

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006


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


‘PIADINA ROMAGNOLA’/‘PIADA ROMAGNOLA’


EC No: IT-PGI-0005-01067 – 11.12.2012


PGI ( X ) PDO ( )

1.   Name

‘Piadina Romagnola’/‘Piada Romagnola’
2.   Member State or Third Country

Italy
3.   Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1.   Type of product


Group 2.4: bread, pastry, cakes, confectionery, biscuits and other baker’s wares.
3.2.   Description of the product to which the name in (1) applies

The name ‘Piadina Romagnola’/‘Piada Romagnola’ refers to the bakery product obtained from the preparation, and subsequent cooking on a flat pan, of a dough made of flour, fat, salt and various optional ingredients.
When released for consumption, it is disc-shaped and ivory-white in colour with distinctive amber-coloured markings of various sizes and shades on both sides. It has a fragrant flavour and a distinctive smell reminiscent of freshly baked bread.
The distinguishing physical characteristics of ‘Piadina Romagnola’/‘Piada Romagnola’ are:

shape: roundish

dimensions: 






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diameter from 15 cm to 25 cm, and from 23 cm to 30 cm for the Rimini variety;










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between 4 mm and 8 mm thick, but only up to 3 mm thick for the Rimini variety;





outer appearance: the surface is rough and irregular, with amber-coloured markings or blisters of various sizes owing to the cooking process;

organoleptic characteristics: fragrant flavour and a distinctive smell similar to that of freshly baked bread.
3.3.   Raw materials (for processed products only)

The following ingredients are used to produce ‘Piadina Romagnola’/‘Piada Romagnola’:
3.3.1.   Compulsory ingredients per 1 000 g of common wheat flour

Common wheat flour;

Water: as much as necessary to obtain a consistent dough;

Salt: less than or equal to 25 g;

Fat: lard and/or olive oil and/or extra virgin olive oil, up to 250 g.
3.3.2.   Optional ingredients per 1 000 g of common wheat flour


Raising agents: sodium bicarbonate, disodium diphosphate, corn or wheat starch, up to 20 g.
It is forbidden to add preservatives, flavourings and/or other additives.
3.4.   Feed (for products of animal origin only)

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

All the production stages listed below must take place within the identified geographical area:






 


preparation of the dough (mixing the ingredients with water until a consistent dough is obtained)










 


portioning (the dough is divided by hand or mechanically into rolls or balls)










 


rolling out (the process of flattening the rolls or balls of dough to form ‘Piadina Romagnola’/‘Piada Romagnola’ is done solely and exclusively by mechanical or manual means)










 


cooking (cooking involves the heat treatment of both sides of the dough disc. The disc may be turned by hand or mechanically)










 


cooling




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

Production and packaging must occur as a continuous process so as to avoid a situation whereby the product loses its texture after cooling. If the product remains in direct contact with the air for a period in excess of its natural cooling period, its specific organoleptic characteristics are impaired and it becomes dry and stale.
‘Piadina Romagnola’/‘Piada Romagnola’ is sold in food wrapping paper or cloth wrapping for immediate serving, while for consumption at a later time it is sold in sealed and airtight food pouches.
Packaging the product for consumption at a later time in sealed and airtight food pouches not only stops its organoleptic characteristics from deteriorating, it also prevents exposure to external sources of contamination, and in particular to the harmful effects of attacks by flour parasites (particularly the flour moth).
3.7.   Specific rules concerning labelling

All ‘Piadina Romagnola’/‘Piada Romagnola’ PGI packaging must include the following elements in clear, legible, indelible and easily distinguishable print:






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the EU logo;










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the name ‘Piadina Romagnola’ or ‘Piada Romagnola’ followed by the words ‘Indicazione Geografica Protetta’ (‘Protected Geographical Indication’] or the corresponding acronym ‘IGP’ (‘PGI’];










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the logo.




In order to ensure utmost clarity for consumers, the Rimini variety of ‘Piadina Romagnola’/‘Piada Romagnola’ must feature the additional words ‘alla Riminese’ (‘Rimini style’] on the packaging in clear, legible, indelible and easily distinguishable print of the same type as that used for the name ‘Piadina Romagnola’/‘Piada Romagnola’.
The logo is shown below.



The colours used are brown 724 C and beige 728 C.
Where the product is only produced and sold direct, the logo and wordings described above may be placed alongside the outlet’s name sign. The characters used for the words ‘Piadina Romagnola’ or ‘Piada Romagnola’ IGP and the other wordings laid down in this document must be grouped together in the same visual field, be presented clearly, legibly and indelibly and be large enough to stand out from the background on which they are printed so as to be clearly distinguished from all the other wordings and/or images.
Labels may also feature other optional information to assist the consumer and/or nutritional information, as well as company names and trademarks, provided that these elements do not have laudatory purport and are not such as to mislead the purchaser. For products intended for international markets, the wording ‘protected geographical indication’ may be used in the language of the country concerned.
4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

The area in which ‘Piadina Romagnola’/‘Piada Romagnola’ may be produced and packaged is the historical territory of Romagna, and more precisely the entire territory of the Provinces of Rimini, Forlì-Cesena and Ravenna and the following municipalities of the Province of Bologna: Borgo Tossignano, Casalfiumanese, Castel del Rio, Castel Guelfo, Castel San Pietro, Dozza, Fontanelice, Imola, Mordano.
5.   Link with the geographical area

5.1.   Specificity of the geographical area

Romagna is the easternmost part of the Emilia-Romagna Region. It extends from the Adriatic coast in the east to the border with the Province of Bologna in the west, and from the border with the Marche Region in the south to the border with the Province of Ferrara in the north. It has a temperate, sub-continental climate that varies with altitude and distance from the coast. While the climate of Romagna does not differ greatly from that of the rest of northern Italy, it has its own characteristics owing to the gradual narrowing of the plain.
Historically, the production and consumption of ‘Piadina Romagnola’/‘Piada Romagnola’ spread in Romagna as an alternative to bread, which was available in limited quantities. It thus acquired the definition given to it by Romagna’s celebrated poet Giovanni Pascoli, namely the ‘national bread of the Romagnols’.
The consolidation over the centuries of this tradition and the specific production techniques were the basis for the birth, in the 1970s, of the small-scale commercial production of ‘Piadina Romagnola’/‘Piada Romagnola’ at small outlets (kiosks) for immediate serving.
The widespread and visible presence in Romagna of kiosks producing and selling ‘piadine’ for immediate consumption is a characteristic feature of the territory, well-known to locals and tourists alike. The production of ‘Piadina Romagnola’/‘Piada Romagnola’ packaged for later consumption developed from this.
When preparing ‘Piadina Romagnola’/‘Piada Romagnola’ account needs to be taken of the techniques passed down over time in Romagna, which give the product its typical characteristics. A precise sequence should be followed when mixing the ingredients; the dough should not be worked for too long and it must achieve a consistency allowing it to be laminated. It must be cooked at the right temperature and for the length of time indicated, taking care to turn the disc over on the plan so that the product takes on the characteristics described in point 3.2.
These skills result from the knowledge and long experience of local producers and give ‘Piadina Romagnola’/‘Piada Romagnola’ its distinctive characteristics. These characteristics have remained unchanged since the product’s origins and have allowed it to retain its reputation over time.
5.2.   Specificity of the product

‘Piadina Romagnola’/‘Piada Romagnola’ is Romagna’s most typical speciality. It can be found more or less everywhere on the streets of Romagna, produced by ‘piadinare’ [female ‘piadina’ cooks] in their distinctive colourful kiosks, in restaurants and in specialised shops and food businesses. ‘Piadina Romagnola’/‘Piada Romagnola’ is so famous that it is known beyond the region’s borders.
The product is obtained from a dough composed of flour, water, salt, fat and certain optional ingredients, processed according to an age-old tradition. It takes the form of an ivory white disc with distinctive amber-coloured markings of various sizes and shades on both sides and has a fragrant flavour and a distinctive smell similar to that of freshly baked bread.
5.3.   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 reputation of ‘Piadina Romagnola’/‘Piada Romagnola’ is intertwined with local history and traditions and even with figures of speech and popular beliefs.
The term ‘piada’ was officially coined by Giovanni Pascoli, who Italianised the Romagnol dialect word ‘piè’. In a famous short poem, he sang the praises of the ‘piadina’, a food ancient ‘almost as mankind itself’, which he defined as ‘the national bread of the Romagnols’, thus creating an inextricable association between ‘piadina’ and Romagna.
Various written works, often monographs, document the characteristics of the ‘Piadina Romagnola’. They acknowledge its origins through historical sources, illustrate the differences of the two types of ‘Piadina’ and contribute to its fame through suggestions on its preparation and what to serve with it. In 1913, Antonio Sassi, writing in the magazine ‘Il Plaustro’, defined ‘Piadine’ (plural) as the ‘traditional, tasty flatbreads (schiacciate) of the Romagnols’.
Adelmo Masotti’s Vocabolario Romagnolo-Italiano, edited by the Zanichelli publishing house in 1996, defines piada as ‘a thin unleavened focaccia bread, typical of Romagna and cooked on a red-hot griddle’.
There are various literary citations distinguishing the ‘Piadina Romagnola’/‘Piada Romagnola’ from the Rimini variety in terms of its diameter and thickness. Examples are the books by Graziano Pozzetto ‘La Piadina Romagnola Tradizionale’, Panozzo Editore, Rimini, 2005 and ‘Cucina di Romagna’ Ed. Franco Muzzio, 2004, which distinguish between the two varieties.
In 2004, a publication also featured for the first time the recipe for Piadina Romagnola translated into Arabic, French, English, Japanese, Chinese, Russian, Spanish and German.
References to ‘Piadina Romagnola’/‘Piada Romagnola’ in gastronomic publications and guides are frequent.
The Guide ‘Italia a tavola – Guida Gastronomica — Italian restaurants — Gastronomic Guide’ (page 30, Italian Touring Club, 1984) mentions and describes the ‘Piadina Romagnola’/‘Piada Romagnola’ in the Chapter entitled ‘Popular dishes from yesterday are regaining popularity today’. The article describes the ingredients used to make it, how it is eaten, sliced or stuffed and folded over on itself, as well as its characteristic flat presentation.
The tourist guide ‘Gastronomic tourism in Italy’ (pages 367-8, Italian Touring Club, 2001), in the section on the Emilia Romagna region, after a short presentation of the Province of Rimini cites the ‘Piadina Romagnola’/‘Piada Romagnola’ stuffed with charcuterie and cheese as the province’s most popular dish.
The volume ‘Romagna – viaggio attraverso le regioni italiane — Romagna -a journey through the Italian regions’ (page 53, Finintenet S.p.A, 2002) devotes a chapter entitled ‘Rimini, il regno della Piadina — Rimini — where the Piadina reigns’ to describing the ‘Piadina Romagnola’/‘Piada Romagnola’, how to prepare it and how to enjoy it, namely filled with cheese and charcuterie.
Even national television networks have covered the ‘Piadina Romagnola’/‘Piada Romagnola’. We can recall for instance the television programme: ‘Terra e Sapori -Land and Flavours’ broadcast by Rai on 18 July 2008 with the title ‘Emilia Romagna: the secrets of the Piadina’ which documented the ingredients, recipes and the ways of preparing the ‘Piadina Romagnola’/‘Piada Romagnola’.
Lastly, events and gastronomic competitions showcasing the ‘Piadina Romagnola’/‘Piada Romagnola’ have been held in Romagna for some time now.
Since 1993 the ‘Piadina d’Autore — Piadina maker’ event has been held in the town of Cervia (Province of Ravenna). It awards a prize to the best piadina produced in the local kiosks.
Since 1998 Santarcagelo di Romagna has held the ‘Palio della Piadina’, an event which aims to keep the traditions associated with this authentic product of Romagnese gastronomy alive.
An article published on 6 July 2009 reported the award of the prize for the best piadina (‘The best piadina: prize awarded for the Romagnese recipe par excellence’).
A press release was issued for the 2010 edition of ‘Premio Piadina Romagnola, miglior piadina 2010’ (‘Piadina Romagnola Award, prize for the best piadina in 2010’).
Among the most recent events:






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‘Lo Sposalizio della Piadina’ which began in 2002 in Cesena with the intention of further developing the ‘Piadina Romagnola’/‘Piada Romagnola’ tradition.










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‘Piadina Days’ is a showcase event organised since 2010 as part of the Wine Food Festival of Emilia-Romagna. The showcase comprises two days of events, shows, concerts and piadina tastings throughout Romagna.





Reference to publication of the specification

(Article 5(7) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 (3))
The full text of the product specification is available on the following web site: http://www.politicheagricole.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeBLOB.php/L/IT/IDPagina/3335
or alternatively:
by going direct to the home page of the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policy (www.politicheagricole.it) and clicking on ‘Qualità e sicurezza’ (on the top right of the screen) and then on ‘Disciplinari di Produzione all’esame dell’UE’.


(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)  See footnote 2.