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: 2015-10-22
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Germany, Hesse, aromatic plant, condiment, consumer information, designation of origin, labelling, product designation, quality control of agricultural products








C_2015350EN.01001001.xml










22.10.2015   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 350/10





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
(2015/C 350/13)
This publication confers the right to oppose the application pursuant to Article 51 of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 (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)


‘FRANKFURTER GRÜNE SOßE’/‘FRANKFURTER GRIE SOß’


EC No: DE-PGI-0005-0884-13.07.2011


PGI ( X ) PDO ( )

1.   Name

‘Frankfurter Grüne Soße’/‘Frankfurter Grie Soß’
2.   Member State or Third Country

Germany
3.   Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1.   Type of product

Class 1.6. Fruit, vegetables and cereals, fresh or processed
3.2.   Description of product to which the name in (1) applies

‘Frankfurter Grüne Soße’/‘Frankfurter Grie Soß’ is a fresh herbal blend, consisting of the fresh leaves, stems and buds of seven herbs: Borago officinalis (borage), Anthriscus cerefolium var. sativus (chervil), Lepidium sativum (cress), Petroselinum crispum (parsley), Sanguisorba minor (salad burnet), Rumex acetosa (common sorrel) and Allium schoenoprasum (chives).
It is a natural product which, in terms of its individual ingredients, can vary in size, outer appearance, structure and colour depending on the time of year and consequently on the intensity of light exposure, temperature and other natural weather-related factors
The ‘Frankfurter Grüne Soße’/‘Frankfurter Grie Soß’ fresh herbal blend must only contain fresh leaves, stems and buds.

Petroselinum crispum, Borago officinalis, Rumex acetosa and Anthriscus cerefolium var. sativus are the main ingredients in the blend, accounting for approximately 75 % of the overall weight. The fresh leaves, stems and buds of Allium schoenoprasum, Sanguisorba minor and Lepidium sativum account for approximately 25 % of the overall weight. Depending on the time of year and the naturally varying biological properties of each species, the amount of each individual herb in the fresh herbal blend as a share of the overall weight may differ. No one herb may account for more than 30 % by weight of the blend. Furthermore, Petroselinum crispum, Borago officinalis, Rumex acetosa and Anthriscus cerefolium var. sativus should not, individually, account for less than approximately 8 % by weight of the blend. Allium schoenoprasum, Sanguisorba minor and Lepidium sativum, which at certain times of year can have a particularly intense flavour, should not account for less than 3 % of the blend.
3.3.   Raw materials (for processed products only)

—
3.4.   Feed (for products of animal origin only)

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

The seven types of herb used to make ‘Frankfurter Grüne Soße’/‘Frankfurter Grie Soß’ (whether grown outdoors or under cover) must be cultivated in the identified geographical area. Likewise, the fresh leaves, stems and buds must be harvested there. Petroselinum crispum may temporarily be sourced from horticultural production outside the identified geographical area (e.g. in the event of extraordinary and temporary fluctuations in availability owing to harvest losses caused by the weather conditions in the geographical area). In such cases, it must be ensured that the herbs are fresh and can be processed into bundles in the geographical area no later than 36 hours after harvest.
The inclusion of Petroselinum crispum up to 36 hours after harvest is only possible due to the particularly well-developed technical infrastructure in the geographical area (international airport and unbroken cold chain) and the specific characteristics of this herb. In order to be used, the other herbs may not be sourced from horticultural production occurring outside of the geographical area. They must be cultivated in the geographical area.
The seven individual herbs comprising ‘Frankfurter Grüne Soße’/‘Frankfurter Grie Soß’ must be made into a blend and packed into bundles in the identified geographical area. Furthermore, this may only be done by hand.
3.6.   Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc.

Carried out by hand using a traditional method, the leaves and stems of the individual ‘Frankfurter Grüne Soße’/‘Frankfurter Grie Soß’ herbs are layered on top of and into one another by means of a parallel arrangement which specially protects the leaves, then rolled together, and wrapped in special opaque paper which is water-resistant on the inside. The bundles are produced whilst grouping together the herbs and carefully determining the respective blend ratio.
‘Frankfurter Grüne Soße’/‘Frankfurter Grie Soß’ must not be layered or bundled by means of an automated or mechanised process carried out by a packaging machine or similar, as this has a damaging effect on the herbal aroma. Manually layering the individual, uncut leaves, stems and buds of each herb in series and on top of one another, which is a particularly gentle process — resembling work in the craft industry — is the only way to retain the special aromas of each fresh herb until they are processed for consumption, allowing the typical, unique flavour together with the special consistency of the fresh ingredients to be produced when preparing them for consumption as a blend of chopped leaves.
‘Frankfurter Grüne Soße’/‘Frankfurter Grie Soß’ is sold as a traditional fresh blend of whole herbs, weighing a minimum of 250 g in total. These ‘250 g bundles’ are how the product has been traditionally presented for sale to final consumers in the Frankfurt region. The product is also sold in larger bundles (e.g. 1 kg, 5 kg) for large-scale consumers
3.7.   Specific rules concerning labelling

The name Frankfurter Grüne Soße or Frankfurter Grie Soß and the names of the seven herbs must be printed in green on the outside of the bundle, on the special paper referred to under point 3.6 The sentence frische Kräuterkomposition zur Zugbereitung der ‘Grünen Soße’ (fresh blend of herbs for preparing green sauce) must be clearly legible and printed below.
4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

The geographical area comprises the city of Frankfurt am Main and the following towns and municipalities immediately bordering the city: Oberursel, Bad Homburg, Karben, Bad Vilbel, Niederdorfelden, Maintal, Offenbach am Main, Neu-Isenburg, Mörfelden-Walldorf, Rüsselsheim, Raunheim, Kelsterbach, Hattersheim, Kriftel, Hofheim, Kelkheim, Liederbach, Sulzbach, Schwalbach, Eschborn and Steinbach.
5.   Link with the geographical area

5.1.   Specificity of the geographical area

Based on a very old tradition of small-scale horticulture in Frankfurt, first mentioned in official records in 1215 and caused by the political boundaries with the surrounding area, larger farms in the area around the city were progressively supplanted over the centuries. Local rules on inheritance meant that land was divided into smaller and smaller parcels. Over the centuries, a special type of herb cultivation developed on these parcels — some of which were very small — involving varieties and species (such as salad burnet) which are rarely grown outside Frankfurt.
Notably, the special diet of the traditionally large Jewish population of Frankfurt meant that at the latest by the end of the 19th century, fresh herbs came to be eaten and consequently grown there.
Another specific characteristic is the special know-how of herb growers in Frankfurt, as only they understand how to balance the individual and changing properties and ingredients in the blend (fresh herb bundles) so that consumers experience a harmonious taste sensation. Important aspects of the traditional product include the effects of seasonal changes and different growing conditions, varying availability of individual herbs grown outdoors or under cover, and their colour, intensity of flavour and aromas during the latter processing stages (impact on consistency).
5.2.   Specificity of the product

‘Frankfurter Grüne Soße’/‘Frankfurter Grie Soß’ is a fresh herbal speciality which is well-known and popular amongst consumers in the geographical area. It is an important basis for various different dishes and is consequently held in high esteem.
Developments between the 1920s and 1950s led to ‘Frankfurter Grüne Soße’/‘Frankfurter Grie Soß’ becoming permanently established as a separate name for the fresh herbal blend, distinct from Grüne Soße, which is the name for the finished dish. This was primarily due to the fact that the terms ‘Frankfurter Grüne Soße’/‘Frankfurter Grie Soß’ first began to be used consistently to refer to the herb bundles at that time.
From then on, as sales of the herb bundles began to increase in the surrounding area, ‘Frankfurter Grüne Soße’/‘Frankfurter Grie Soß’ was used increasingly to designate the fresh herbal blend which formed the basis for various dishes, thereby also distinguishing it from the Kasseler Grüne Soße fresh herbal blend (made from other herbs) which could also be found on the market. Over the course of generations, ‘Frankfurter Grüne Soße’/‘Frankfurter Grie Soß’ has also become established as a regional product, shaping the identity of the geographical area socially and culturally in various ways. The special knowledge developed by herb gardeners regarding how to grow and harvest the individual herbs and the unique know-how that has evolved from this regarding how to create a particularly harmonious blend of the seven herbs, has developed in several families over generations, as proved by many exhibitions and celebrated in the form of monuments (the Grüne Soße monument), museums (the Oberräder gardening museum) and a dedicated cultural festival (the Grüne Soße Festival).
For generations, much of the population of Frankfurt has regarded the local fresh herbal speciality ‘Frankfurter Grüne Soße’/‘Frankfurter Grie Soß’ as contributing significantly to their identity. This is demonstrated, e.g. by the fact that ‘Frankfurter Grüne Soße’/‘Frankfurter Grie Soß’, which is produced by hand in the geographical area at close proximity to consumers, is not only presented in a consistently positive light in numerous newspaper articles and on the television but also on the internet. Moreover, it is distinctly ingrained in shared local beliefs and attitudes. Examples attesting to the significance of the fresh herbal blend include the novel Die abenteuerliche Reise der sieben Kräuter by Horst Nopens, the Frankfurt Adult Education Centre’s publication Des war die Zeit, various television features on the public regional television channel HR, and different publications by artists, cultural professionals and the City of Frankfurt on the topic: Sieben Kräuter müssen es sein — Die Frankfurter Grüne Soße (only seven herbs — Frankfurt green sauce).
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)

In addition to being the area where the herbs have been cultivated for generations on small-scale holdings, the geographical area is also where ‘Frankfurter Grüne Soße’/‘Frankfurter Grie Soß’ is primarily sold and consumed. The long standing interplay between herb gardeners on the one hand and consumers (private consumers and the food service sector) on the other has given rise to a certain perception as to what makes ‘Frankfurter Grüne Soße’/‘Frankfurter Grie Soß’ distinctive. This special knowledge was acquired exclusively by Frankfurt’s herb gardeners – knowledge which has been maintained to this day and which can be found nowhere else.
This expertise and know-how concerning how and when to proceed with which aspects of the harvesting and composition of the product, and the special nature — particularly the aroma, colour and taste — of the individual herbs corresponding to the specific characteristics of the geographical area (in accordance with point 5.1) and the specific harmonious blend of each herb within the bundle (in accordance with point 3.5) has meant that local production of the fresh herbal blend is seen as a cultural asset in the geographical area and will be passed on to future generations. As a fresh herbal blend, ‘Frankfurter Grüne Soße’/‘Frankfurter Grie Soß’ is a precious cultural asset which is important to preserve.
Together with the long tradition of cultivating herbs for the ‘Frankfurter Grüne Soße’/‘Frankfurter Grie Soß’ which developed as a result of the location of the Frankfurt region and demand from that region, the name Grüne Soße (green sauce) has become firmly established in local cuisine.
The main characteristic of the ‘Frankfurter Grüne Soße’/‘Frankfurter Grie Soß’ fresh herbal blend is that to date, all households and food industry professionals have their own recipes for creating the finished dish, Grüne Soße, using the herbs.

Reference to publication of the specification

(Article 5(7) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 (3))
https://register.dpma.de/DPMAregister/geo/detail.pdfdownload/41038


(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.