Publication of an application for approval of minor amendment in accordance with the second subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012
Date: 2015-06-16
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: South West (England), United Kingdom, cereal product, consumer information, designation of origin, foodstuff, labelling, product designation




C_2015199EN.01000601.xml










16.6.2015   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 199/6





Publication of an application for approval of minor amendment in accordance with the second subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012
(2015/C 199/06)
The European Commission has approved this minor amendment in accordance with the third subparagraph of Article 6(2) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 664/2014 of 18 December 2013 (1).
APPLICATION FOR APPROVAL OF A MINOR AMENDMENT

Application for approval of a minor amendment in accordance with the second subparagraph of Article 53(2), of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012
 (2)


‘CORNISH PASTY’


EU No: UK-PGI-0105-01256 – 12.8.2014


PDO ( ) PGI ( X ) TSG ( )

1.   Applicant group and legitimate interest







Name:


Cornish Pasty Association




Address:







Chapel View Farm




Coombe Lane




Bissoe




Truro




TR4 8RE




UNITED KINGDOM








Tel.


+44 1872865101




E-mail:


info@cornishpastyassociation.co.uk




Statement of legitimate interest of the applicant group:
The Cornish Pasty Association (the Association) is the only organisation representing the collective interests of producers of the genuine Cornish pasty, a product that was granted PGI status on 11 August 2011. The Association is the applicant named on the PGI Specification. All producers of genuine Cornish pasties are actively encouraged to join. The Association currently has 24 paid-up members, representing about 50 % of the producers that have been identified, and in excess of 90 % of all pasties produced in Cornwall. The Association's purpose, as stated in its constitution, is to:






(a)


Provide a single respected voice representing and supporting producers and retailers of genuine Cornish Pasties.










(b)


Lead and reflect industry thinking and when necessary become the spokesperson for the Members.










(c)


Develop and implement on-going strategies for the protection and administration of European Union Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status, including procedures for regulating the PGI scheme, promotion of genuine Cornish Pasties and any other actions required of the Association in pursuance of its objects.










(d)


Cooperate closely with working groups, companies and other organisations for the benefit of the Members.




Since the PGI was granted, it has become apparent that a number of minor issues are hampering the process of audit and compliance because some producers make pasties to recipes and methods that vary very slightly from the specification without making a material difference to the authenticity of the product. It is the Association's view that these minor variations should not prevent these products from complying with the regulation.
The proposed amendments do not:






(a)


relate to the essential characteristics of the product;










(b)


alter the link referred to in point (f)(i) or (ii) of Article 7(1);










(c)


include a change to the name, or to any part of the name of the product;










(d)


affect the defined geographical area; or










(e)


represent an increase in restrictions on trade in the product or its raw materials.




The proposed amendments are therefore designed to enable the following interests of the producer group to be achieved:






1.


To ensure that modern methods of Cornish Pasty production are included within the specification scope.










2.


To enable all producers of genuine Cornish pasties to legitimately market their products under the PGI name and logo.




To establish a clear, unambiguous specification to allow for efficient, evidence based auditing and assessment of compliance with requirements.
2.   Member State or Third Country

United Kingdom
3.   Heading in the product specification affected by the amendment(s)



—
   
☒
 Description of product


—
   
☒
 Proof of origin


—
   
☒
 Method of production


—
   
☐
 Link


—
   
☒
 Labelling


—
   
☒
 Other [to be specified]
4.   Type of amendment(s)



—
   
☐
 Amendment to product specification of registered PDO or PGI to be qualified as minor in accordance with the third subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012, that requires no amendment to the published single document


—
   
☒
 Amendment to product specification of registered PDO or PGI to be qualified as minor in accordance with the third subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012, that requires an amendment to the published single document


—
   
☐
 Amendment to product specification of registered PDO or PGI to be qualified as minor in accordance with the third subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012, for which a single document (or equivalent) has not been published.


—
   
☐
 Amendment to product specification of registered TSG to be qualified as minor in accordance with the fourth subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.
5.   Amendment(s)



Amendment 1:


Description of product

This amendment clarifies the pastry glazes which can be applied to the Cornish Pasty prior to cooking.
Reason for amendment:
The wording of the existing specification is ambiguous. The original specification intended to permit components of egg and milk and proprietary glazes based on egg and milk as well as egg and milk, as these are commonly used, but it has become apparent that this was not clearly defined.
Wording in the current specification:
The pastry can be either shortcrust, rough puff or puff depending on the bakers' individual recipe. After filling, the pastry can be marked for product identification purposes e.g. knife hole, scoring or pastry cut out shape and can be glazed with milk, egg or both which will provide its golden colour. The pastry case is savoury and robust enough to retain shape throughout the cooking, cooling and handling process and serves to avoid splitting or cracking.
Amend to read:
The pastry can be shortcrust, rough puff or puff depending on the bakers' individual recipe. After filling, the pastry can be marked for product identification purposes e.g. knife hole, scoring or pastry cut out shape, and can be glazed using a glaze based on components of milk or egg or both, which will provide its golden colour. The pastry case is savoury and robust enough to retain shape throughout the cooking, cooling and handling process and serves to avoid splitting or cracking.


Amendment 2:


Description of product

Seeks to provide for the use of very small amounts of optional ingredients in the filling of the pasty either to add succulence or as processing aids but which do not affect the overall flavour profile of the Cornish pasty filling. Seeks also to clarify the wording relating to the sealing of the pasty.
Reasons for amendment:
Whilst there is a need to protect strongly the flavour profile of the genuine Cornish pasty created by the main ingredients, it has become clear that many small variations are used, many of which have been handed down through generations. These create subtle variations in the finished products, of which individual bakers are proud. This is part of the tradition. Under no circumstances is this amendment application intended to permit the use of main ingredients other than those stipulated in the specification, or additional ingredients that would alter the overall flavour profile of the pasty.
Modern production methods also mean that some bakers use processing aids that do not affect the overall flavour profile of the product, e.g. cornflour, used to aid depositing of the filling. Although the quantities are very small, the original specification did not reflect this.
The revised wording clearly retains the requirement for the Cornish pasty filling not to contain artificial additives.
Traditional methods of crimping produce variations in the appearance of the finished product. For example, sometimes the crimp sits at a 45 degree angle and at other times it lies in a flat D shape. Cornish pasties are formed into a D shape once the filling is placed inside, but the crimping process may result in a finished product that is not an exact D shape. This is not the same as the pinching together of the edges across the top of the pasty, which is not the distinctive method associated with Cornish pasties and is intended to remain outside the scope of the specification.
Wording in the current specification:
The filling ingredients for Cornish Pasties consist of:






—


sliced or diced potato,










—


swede,










—


onion,










—


(vegetable content of the pasty must not be less than 25 %),










—


diced or minced beef (meat content of the pasty must not be less than 12,5 %),










—


seasoning to taste, primarily salt and pepper.




No other types of meat, vegetables e.g. carrot or any artificial additives are to be used in the filling and all filling ingredients must be uncooked at the time of sealing the product.
Note: Traditionally, in Cornwall ‘swede’ is referred to as ‘turnip’ so the two terms are interchangeable, but the actual ingredient is ‘swede’. On assembling Cornish Pasties, the pasties are ‘D’ shaped and pastry edges are crimped either by hand or mechanically to one side, and never on top.
The whole pasty is slow-baked to ensure that flavours from the raw ingredients are maximised. Another distinctive feature of the Cornish Pasty is that whilst the constituent ingredients are discernable in appearance, taste and texture, the fusion of the flavours arising from the raw beef and vegetables create a balanced and natural savoury taste throughout the product. The pastry also takes on light savoury notes.
Cornish Pasties must be free from artificial colours, flavours and preservatives. They are sold in a variety of sizes and weights and through a range of outlets including butchers and bakers shops, supermarkets, delicatessens and food service outlets.
Amend to read:
The mandatory filling ingredients for Cornish pasties are:






—


sliced or diced potato,










—


swede,










—


onion,










—


(vegetable content must not be less than 25 % of the whole pasty),










—


diced or minced beef (meat content must not be less than 12,5 % of the whole pasty),










—


seasoning to taste, primarily salt and pepper.




The listed mandatory filling ingredients must be uncooked at the time of sealing the product.
No meats other than beef, and no vegetables other than those listed in the mandatory ingredients are to be used in the filling. However, small amounts of other optional additional ingredients are permitted to add succulence and flavour to the pasty or to aid processing. They must not alter the overall flavour profile created by the mandatory ingredients. The combined volume of processing aids and other additional ingredients must amount in total to no more than 5 % of the filling, by weight, in the uncooked pasty.
No artificial additives are to be present in the filling in the baked pasty.
Note: Traditionally, in Cornwall ‘swede’ is referred to as ‘turnip’ so the two terms are interchangeable, but the actual ingredient is ‘swede’.
The Cornish Pasties are assembled into a ‘D’ shape and the pastry edges are then crimped either by hand or mechanically. Crimping is the traditional process by which the edges of a Cornish pasty are sealed. The resultant crimped edge sits to one side of the pasty and is distinctive to and different from a simple pinched seal across the top of the pasty.
The whole pasty is slow-baked to ensure that flavours from the raw ingredients are maximised. Another distinctive feature of the Cornish pasty is that whilst the constituent ingredients are discernable in appearance, taste and texture, the fusion of the flavours arising from the cooking of the raw beef and vegetables creates a balanced and natural savoury taste throughout the product. The pastry also takes on light savoury notes.
Cornish pasties are sold in a variety of sizes and weights and through a range of outlets including butchers and bakers' shops, supermarkets, delicatessens and food service outlets.


Amendment 3:


Proof of Origin

To clarify methods of traceability.
Reason for amendment:
The amendment removes ambiguity and creates a single method by which the product origin can be traced for all sizes and types of producer. For example, the Health Mark mentioned in the existing wording only applies to those who produce packaged products.
Wording in the current specification:
Proof that the product is manufactured in the designated area can be demonstrated by reference to the records maintained by the producers and by reference to the traceability systems which are in place. The nominated inspection body will conduct annual checks on each producer to ensure that they are complying with the specification.
Each member will receive their own Certification number provided by the inspection body to display on packaging and any other point of sale material when selling Cornish Pasties. This unique number will trace each pasty sold directly back to the producer. In the case of the small-scale producers, some of the products produced are only sold through their own retail outlets, whilst other larger members sell products through the major retailers.
Producers are issued a Health Mark from the Food Standards Agency and this combined with the use of a date code provides full traceability of a product from point of sale, to production batch, through to the approved supplier of each of the component ingredients.
The Cornish Pasty Association will police the use of its own authentication stamp, granted to each of its members. The stamp will again be used on all packaging and point of sale material.
Amend to read:
Proof that the product is manufactured in the designated area can be demonstrated by reference to the records maintained by the producers and by reference to the traceability systems which are in place.
Each producer will receive their own certification number provided by the Cornish Pasty Association to be displayed on packaging and at the point of sale. This unique number will trace each pasty sold directly back to the producer. A register of certification numbers will be maintained by the Cornish Pasty Association via communication with the nominated inspection bodies.
The Cornish Pasty Association will police the use of its own authentication mark, granted to each of its members.


Amendment 4:


Method of production

Addition of the word ‘mince’ to clarify the filling ingredients and present a more concise description of the method of production.
Reason for amendments:
The amendments reflect the other parts of the specification more accurately and remove unnecessary repetition.
Current wording:
Specially selected cuts of beef and potatoes, onions and swede/turnip are prepared, by cutting into rough chunks. Pastry is made, and rolled into the required shape.
Raw filling ingredients are lightly seasoned with salt and pepper and placed on pastry wrap. The pastry is folded over and crimped to form a D shape. The pasty is then glazed and slow-baked to release the flavour from the raw ingredients. Baking time depends on the size of the product, which can vary.
The pasties are sold in a wide variety of retail outlets ranging from the major supermarkets to the producers own shop.
Amend to read:
Specially selected cuts of beef and potatoes, onions and swede/turnip are prepared, by cutting into rough chunks or mince. Pastry is made, and rolled into the required shape.
The raw filling ingredients are lightly seasoned and placed on the pastry wrap. The pastry is folded over to form a D shape. The pasty is then crimped, glazed and slow-baked to release the flavour from the raw ingredients. Baking time depends on the size of the product, which can vary.


Amendment 5:


Other – Labelling

To remove the requirement for the Cornish Pasty Association logo to be used on all packaging.
Reason for amendment:
The original wording required all products to carry the Cornish Pasty Association logo, which cannot be enforced as not all Cornish pasty makers are required to be members of the Cornish Pasty Association and the logo is reserved for members' use.
The requirement for the PGI symbol to be used will remain in force but it does not need to be restated in this document because it is covered by general Protected Food Names legislation.
Current wording:
The approved PGI symbol will be used at point of sale, or on any packaging containing the product and the logo which has been developed to show proof of authentication; this will be supported by point of sale material.
Amend to read:
—
(i.e. leave blank)


Amendment 6:


Other – Updating the details of the Nominated Inspection Body

Reason for amendments:
Details of the existing inspection bodies have been updated. Connaught Compliance Services Ltd is no longer trading and has therefore been removed. The addition of Cornwall Council as an inspection body gives producers the flexibility to choose from a wider pool of inspection bodies.
Current wording:
Inspection body:






Name:


Product Authentication Inspectorate Limited




Address:







Rowland House




65 High Street




Worthing




W. Sussex




BN11 1DN




UNITED KINGDOM








Tel.


+44 1903237799




Fax


+44 1903204445




E-mail:


paul.wright@thepaigroup.com










Name:


Connaught Compliance Services Ltd




Address:







Connaught House




Caerphilly Business Park




Caerphilly




CF83 3GG




UNITED KINGDOM








Tel.


+44 2920856505




E-mail:


 











Name


:


SAI Global




Address


:







PO Box 44




Winterhill House




Snowdon Drive




Milton Keynes




MK6 1AX




UNITED KINGDOM








Amend to read:
Inspection body:
Product Authentication Inspectorate Limited






Address:







The Inspire




Hornbeam Park




Harrogate




North Yorkshire




HG2 8PA




UNITED KINGDOM








Tel.


+44 1423878878




E-mail:


food@thepaigroup.com










Name:


SAI Global




Address:







42 The Square




Kenilworth




CV8 1EB




UNITED KINGDOM








Tel.


+44 1926854111




E-mail:


info.emea@saiglobal.com










Name:


Cornwall Council




Address:







Public Health & Protection Service




Unit 6 Threemilestone Industrial Estate




Truro




Cornwall




TR4 9LD




UNITED KINGDOM








Tel.


+44 3001234191




E-mail:


tradingstandards@cornwall.gov.uk




The inspection body conforms to the principles of EN45011 standard.
SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘CORNISH PASTY’


EU No: UK-PGI-0105-01256 – 12.8.2014


PDO ( ) PGI ( X )

1.   Name(s) (of PDO or PGI)


‘Cornish Pasty’

2.   Member State or Third Country

United Kingdom
3.   Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1.   Type of product (listed in Annex XI)

Class 2.3. bread, pastry, cakes, confectionery, biscuits and other baker's wares
3.2.   Description of product to which the name in (1) applies

The Cornish Pasty is a savoury D-shaped pasty which is filled with beef, vegetables and seasonings.
Pastry:
The pastry can be shortcrust, rough puff or puff depending on the bakers' individual recipe. After filling, the pastry can be marked for product identification purposes e.g. knife hole, scoring or pastry cut out shape, and can be glazed using a glaze based on components of milk or egg or both, which will provide its golden colour. The pastry case is savoury and robust enough to retain shape throughout the cooking, cooling and handling process and serves to avoid splitting or cracking.
Pasty Filling:
The mandatory filling ingredients for Cornish pasties are:






—


sliced or diced potato,










—


swede,










—


onion,










—


(vegetable content must not be less than 25 % of the whole pasty),










—


diced or minced beef (meat content must not be less than 12,5 % of the whole pasty),










—


seasoning to taste, primarily salt and pepper.




The listed mandatory filling ingredients must be uncooked at the time of sealing the product.
No meats other than beef, and no vegetables other than those listed in the mandatory ingredients are to be used in the filling. However, small amounts of other optional additional ingredients are permitted to add succulence and flavour to the pasty or to aid processing. They must not alter the overall flavour profile created by the mandatory ingredients. The combined volume of processing aids and other additional ingredients must amount in total to no more than 5 % of the filling, by weight, in the uncooked pasty.
Examples of optional ingredients that are permitted, provided the use thereof does not prevent the end product from meeting all other requirements of this specification, are:
To add succulence: fats such as butter, clotted cream or beef suet.
To complement the flavours of the filling: ingredients such as beef or vegetable stock.
To aid processing: ingredients such as cornflour, potato starch and sulphites.
No artificial additives are to be present in the filling in the baked pasty.
Note: Traditionally, in Cornwall ‘swede’ is referred to as ‘turnip’ so the two terms are interchangeable, but the actual ingredient is ‘swede’.
The Cornish Pasties are assembled into a ‘D’ shape and the pastry edges are then crimped either by hand or mechanically. Crimping is the traditional process by which the edges of a Cornish pasty are sealed. The resultant crimped edge sits to one side of the pasty and is distinctive to and different from a simple pinched seal across the top of the pasty.
The whole pasty is slow-baked to ensure that flavours from the raw ingredients are maximised. Another distinctive feature of the Cornish pasty is that whilst the constituent ingredients are discernable in appearance, taste and texture, the fusion of the flavours arising from the cooking of the raw beef and vegetables creates a balanced and natural savoury taste throughout the product. The pastry also takes on light savoury notes.
Cornish pasties are sold in a variety of sizes and weights and through a range of outlets including butchers and bakers shops, supermarkets, delicatessens and food service outlets.
3.3.   Feed (for products of animal origin only) and raw materials (for processed products only)







—


Short crust, rough puff or puff pastry










—


Beef










—


Potato










—


Onion










—


Swede










—


Seasoning




Optional ingredients and processing aids, subject to the conditions stated in Paragraph 3.2.
3.4.   Specific steps in production that must take place in the identified geographical area

Assembly of the pasties in preparation for baking must take place in the designated area.
The actual baking does not have to be done within the geographical area, it is possible to send the finished but unbaked and/or frozen pasties to bakers or other outlets outside the area where they can be baked in ovens for consumption.
3.5.   Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc. of the product the registered name refers to

—
3.6.   Specific rules concerning labelling of the product the registered name refers to

The producer's unique identification number must be displayed on packaging (where product is sold pre-packed) and at point of sale if product is not packaged.
4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

The administrative area of Cornwall.
5.   Link with the geographical area

The nature of Cornwall's climate — wet and mild — and its physical geography have made it ideally suited for both beef production and the growing of vegetables. Potatoes and swedes/turnips have long been, and still are, some of Cornwall's main horticultural outputs. Although there is no requirement for the raw ingredients to be sourced from within Cornwall in practice much of it continues to be supplied by local farmers thus continuing the long established symbiotic relationship between Cornish farmer and Cornish baker.
Mining in Cornwall dates back many centuries, however, the industry reached a peak in the 18th and 19th centuries. The importance of the area's mining heritage is such that although the industry is now extinct, select mining landscapes across Cornwall gained World Heritage Status in 2006.
Miners and farm workers took this portable, easy-to-eat convenience food to work with them because it was so well suited to the purpose. Its size and shape made it easy to carry (usually in a pocket), its pastry case insulated the contents and was durable enough to survive while its wholesome, nourishing ingredients provided enough sustenance to see the workers through their long and arduous days. There are many stories about the shape of the pasty, with the most popular being that the D shape enabled men working in tin mines to reheat them underground, as well as eat them safely. The crust (crimped edge) was used as a handle which was then discarded due to the high levels of arsenic in many of the tin mines.
There is a wealth of historical evidence confirming the importance of the Cornish Pasty as part of the county's culinary heritage. The pasty became commonplace in the 16th and 17th centuries and really attained its true Cornish identity during the last 200 years.
Research has shown that the associations between the pasty and Cornwall are as strong today as 200 years ago, both inside the county and beyond. Tourists have been visiting Cornwall since the development of railway links into the county, leading to the Cornish Pasty becoming an integral part of the visitors' experience. According to research conducted into attitudes to local foods in Cornwall, Cornish Clotted Cream (already a PDO) and the Cornish Pasty are the products most frequently tried by visitors. Tellingly, people surveyed for this research described the sort of pasties they ate when visiting the county as ‘proper pasties’, indicating the considerable difference between Cornish Pasties from Cornwall and the more generic, mass-produced variety currently allowed to bear the name. Cornish Pasties and Cornish Clotted Cream are also the products most likely to be brought by visitors to take home, either by mail order or from local outlets (source: ‘Consumer Attitudes to Cornish Produce’ Ruth Huxley 2002).
The Cornish Pasty is distinguished, in appearance, by its D shape and crimped edge. The shape was designed to make it easy to carry (usually in a pocket) and enabled men working in tin mines to reheat them underground, as well as eat them safely. The crust (crimped edge) was used as a handle which was then discarded due to the high levels of arsenic in many of the tin mines. The pastry case insulated the contents and was durable enough to survive while its wholesome, nourishing ingredients provided enough sustenance to see the workers through their long and arduous days.
The Cornish Pasty holds a firm and celebrated position within the culinary heritage of Cornwall and has been written about for many centuries. The pasty became commonplace in the 16th and 17th centuries and really attained its true Cornish identity during the last 200 years.
By the end of the 18th century the Cornish Pasty had become the staple diet of working men across Cornwall, and their families too. Miners and farm workers took this portable, easy-to-eat convenience food to work with them because it was so well suited to the purpose.
Evidence of the Cornish Pasty as a traditional Cornish food is found in Worgan's Agricultural Survey of Cornwall of 1808. References include ‘the labouring man having usually a bit of beef for his pasty’. In the 1860s records show that children employed in the mines also took pasties with them as part of their crib or croust (local dialect for snack or lunch).
By the early 20th century the Cornish Pasty was produced on a large scale throughout the County as a basic food for farm workers and miners. There are examples of Edwardian postcards dated approx. 1901-10 showing Cornish Pasties and extracts from the cookery books ‘Good Things in England’ (1922) and ‘Cornish Recipes, Ancient and Modern’ (1929) showing typical pasty recipes.
Research has shown that the associations between the pasty and Cornwall are as strong today as 200 years ago, both inside the county and beyond. Tourists have been visiting Cornwall since the development of railway links into the county, leading to the Cornish Pasty becoming an integral part of the visitors experience.

Reference to publication of the specification

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/386027/cornish-pasty-pgi-amendment-spec.pdf


(1)  OJ L 179, 19.6.2014, p. 17.

(2)  OJ L 343, 14.12.2012, p. 1.