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: 2017-06-03
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Norway, consumer information, designation of origin, labelling, meat product, product designation, quality control of agricultural products








C_2017177EN.01001401.xml










3.6.2017   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 177/14





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
(2017/C 177/06)
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

‘FENALÅR FRA NORGE’


EU No: NO-PGI-0005-01260 — 27.8.2015


PGI ( X ) PDO ( )

1.   Name

‘Fenalår fra Norge’.
2.   Member State or Third Country

Norway
3.   Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1.   Type of product

Class 1.2. Meat products (cooked, salted, smoked, etc.)
3.2.   Description of product to which the name in (1) applies

‘Fenalår fra Norge’ is salted, dried and matured, and sometimes smoked, leg of lamb and mutton of Norwegian origin. ‘Fenalår fra Norge’ comprises the varieties ‘Traditional’ and ‘Matured’. ‘Fenalår fra Norge’ includes whole items and completely or partially boned items. The hooves and lower part of the leg are generally completely or partially removed.
‘Fenalår fra Norge’ has a round meat flavour with no to noticeable characteristics of sheep. ‘Fenalår fra Norge’ should have a cured and non-deviant smell and a mild salty taste. The ‘Matured’ variety must have a salt content less than 7 %. The ‘Traditional’ variety must have a salt content less than 9 %. Marinated or spiced thighs will take the taste from the particular spices used. Rosemary, garlic, pepper, thyme, berries and honey are common flavourings.
‘Fenalår fra Norge’ should have an even, reddish colour, tender and medium-firm to firm consistency, and it should be mould-free. The meat should not have a dry edge, and the fat should have a light golden colour.
The ‘Traditional’ variety must have a minimum 30 % desiccation and the ‘Matured’ variety must have a minimum 35 % desiccation. Normal drying and maturation time is 3-6 months for ‘Traditional’ and 5-9 months for ‘Matured’. As a general rule, ‘Fenalår fra Norge’ shall be sold with an aw (water activity) lower than 0,90.
The regular smoking method is cold smoking with beech wood chips. In some cases, juniper used instead of beech.
Normal weight for the entire thigh after drying is 1,4 to 2,1 kg for lamb. For adult animals, the similar weight will be 2,0-4,2 kg.
3.3.   Raw materials (for processed products only)

The raw material for ‘Fenalår fra Norge’ shall be leg of lamb or mutton born, raised and slaughtered in Norway as defined in Article 4. Both fresh and frozen/thawed legs can be used, but frozen/thawed legs should not be older than 12 months.
Breeds such as Norwegian white sheep, Dala sheep, Norwegian pelt sheep and Old Norwegian short tail landrace, and crosses between the different races can be used. The usual slaughter age of lambs is 7-8 months, and for adult animals 1-5 years.
More than 90 % of the animals are slaughtered in the period from September to November.
The thighs must have a pH measured in flat steak between 5,5 and 5,8. During the process, thighs must be massaged and pressed for traces of blood. During production, the temperature should be under 7 degrees Celsius, but it is recommended that the temperature be kept between 1 and 4 degrees Celsius until the thighs are salt-cured. The drying process must take place in a suitably moist climate at the proper temperature. Each thigh must be manually checked to monitor the drying process and to pick the thighs at the proper degree of drying.
Lamb thighs are frozen to temperatures below – 18 degrees Celsius. Thawing frozen thighs takes place in controlled temperatures below 7 degrees Celsius.
3.4.   Specific steps in production that must take place in the identified geographical area

‘Fenalår fra Norge’ shall be produced, processed and refined in Norway as defined in point 4. The raw material for ‘Fenalår fra Norge’ shall be leg of lamb or mutton born, raised and slaughtered in Norway as defined in point 4.
3.5.   Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc. of the product the registered name refers to

‘Fenalår fra Norge’ can be sold as a whole leg with bone, whole leg without bone or sliced. Boned items can be sold as whole pieces or slices. Slices are generally thin (0,6-1,2 mm).
3.6.   Specific rules concerning labelling of the product the registered name refers to

‘Fenalår fra Norge’ shall be labelled with the additional designation ‘Traditional’ or ‘Matured’.
4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

‘Fenalår fra Norge’ shall be produced, processed and refined in Norway, here defined as the Kingdom of Norway with the exception of Svalbard and Jan Mayen.
5.   Link with the geographical area

The application for registration of a protected geographical indication is based on reputation.
‘Fenalår fra Norge’ is a unique product from Norway, both with regard to the name and the production method. A common definition is ‘cured leg of mutton and lamb’. The designation fenalår has been used far back in time in Norway, however, the designation has not been found used in other countries.
There is a long tradition of extensive sheep farming in Norway. This can be attributed to the cool climate as well as the topography of Norway, with much grassland and steep land.
A long and continuous tradition of production of ‘Fenalår fra Norge’ in Norway can be documented. In 1555 Olaus Magnus writes about mutton that ‘Northerners eat mutton meat, like nearly all other meats, raw all year after it has laid in brine, been smoked and dried in fresh air, raw all year, and this meat can get old’. Many indirect sources say that the product was most likely produced during the Viking era (800–1050 AD), and findings of sheep bones dated to about 3000 BC (the Neolithic period) makes it probable that leg of mutton could have been dried already at this time.
The production of ‘Fenalår fra Norge’ is a local tradition in all four regions in Norway and is associated with all of Norway. The knowledge and expertise on making ‘Fenalår fra Norge’ has been handed down through generations. One has therefore gained great expertise on how production should be adapted to local conditions, such as temperature, humidity and wind conditions. The accumulated knowledge of selecting the right quality of mutton thighs, how to massage the thighs, the know-how of salting- and drying process to get the mild salty taste, and the right consistency, are all important factors for the renowned quality of ‘Fenalår fra Norge’.
This long and widespread tradition has given the ‘Fenalår fra Norge’ a solid reputation in Norway. A consumer survey conducted in January 2016 confirms that Fenalår fra Norge has a strong and positive reputation and high knowledge. The consumer consider ‘Fenalår fra Norge’ as a high quality product and as a unique and traditional Norwegian product. ‘Fenalår fra Norge’ is most often used during holidays such as 17 May (the National Day) or Christmas, and in the summer when the weather is warm.
Until the end of the 1900s it was common among Norwegian farmers to produce the product for their own use. The knowledge and expertise on making ‘Fenalår fra Norge’ has been handed down through generations, and is currently also used in production on a larger scale.

Reference to publication of the specification

(the second subparagraph of Article 6(1) of this Regulation)
https://lovdata.no/dokument/SF/forskrift/2012-10-03-935


(1)  OJ L 343, 14.12.2012, p. 1.