Publication of the amended single document following the approval of a minor amendment pursuant to the second subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012
Date: 2019-03-05
Institutions: Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, European Commission
Subjects: United Kingdom, Wales, consumer information, designation of origin, labelling, product designation, quality control of agricultural products, salt








C_2019083EN.01001501.xml










5.3.2019   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 83/15






Publication of the amended single document following the approval of a minor amendment pursuant to the second subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012
(2019/C 83/13)
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 (1).
The application for approval of this minor amendment can be consulted in the Commission’s DOOR database.
SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘ANGLESEY SEA SALT/HALEN MÔN’


EU No: PDO-GB-0105-01068-AM01 — 26.3.2018


PDO ( X ) PGI ( )

1.   Name(s)

‘Anglesey Sea Salt’/‘Halen Môn’
2.   Member State or Third Country

United Kingdom
3.   Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1.   Type of product

Class 1.8. other products listed in Annex I to the Treaty (spices etc.)
3.2.   Description of product to which the name in (1) applies

Anglesey Sea Salt/Halen Môn is the name given to salt flakes harvested from the Menai Strait in Anglesey, North Wales. They are crystalline white, flat, soft flakes which contain over 30 trace elements and are additive free. The flakes of salt measure no larger than 2 centimetres across at grading. It is due to the mineral content that Anglesey Sea Salt/Halen Môn is demonstrably different in appearance, texture, taste and mouth feel. The salt has a concentrated salty taste and crunchy texture arising from the naturally occurring calcium and magnesium left after the unique rinsing process which gives the Anglesey Sea Salt/Halen Môn its white appearance and a clean taste without any bitterness which can be caused by excess calcium.
The unique qualities of Anglesey Sea Salt/Halen Môn derive from the raw materials — the pure seawater and the method of crystallising and rinsing the salt. Anglesey Sea Salt/Halen Môn is an additive free sea salt that consists of the following naturally occurring trace elements and minerals:
Composition






Sodium Chloride


Greater than 90 % by weight




Water


Less than 4 %




Lead


less than 2 mg/kg




Tin


less than 200 mg/kg




Arsenic


less than 0,5 mg/kg




Mercury


less than 0,1 mg/kg




Cadmium


less than 0,5 mg/kg




Copper


less than 2 mg/kg




Zinc


Trace




Magnesium


At least 0,2 %




Iodine


Up to 1 mg/kg




Calcium


0,08 %-0,15 %




Three different grades of flakes are produced; coarse, fine and ground.
3.3.   Feed (for products of animal origin only) and raw materials (for processed products only)

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

—
3.5.   Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc. of the product the registered name refers to

All processes of production and preparation are undertaken in the designated area, under controlled conditions to ensure a consistent end product is achieved including:






—


Pumping and filtration of seawater










—


Concentration of brine










—


Crystallisation










—


Harvesting of salt crystals










—


Rinsing










—


Packaging




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

—
4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

The Menai Strait, Anglesey, North Wales. The Menai Strait is the strip of water separating the Isle of Anglesey from the mainland of Wales. The Strait runs from Fort Belan at the South West end on the mainland side SH 115 440610 and Abermenai point on the Anglesey side OS sheet 115 SH 443615 to a line between the jetty projecting into the straits at 580740 on Anglesey side and the end of Bangor pier on mainland side 582 736 The area is under the jurisdiction of the Caernarfon Harbour Trust.
5.   Link with the geographical area

5.1.   Specificity of the geographical area

The specificity of the area is based on its climatic conditions, the presence of a tidal reach and the lack of heavy industry or shipping.
The uniqueness of the product is partly due to the extreme tidal range of over 9,5 metres which means the Strait is changed twice a day by the incoming tide. The unusual double high tide, which occurs when the Gulf Stream washes around the island, helps to provide the balance of trace elements and acts to give a new body of seawater every day to draw from.
The Gulf Stream comes from the Atlantic and washes up the west coast of Britain. It is warmer than the East coast reaching a mean of 15 degrees in Summer at the surface and 12 degrees at the bottom. Mean salinity of the sea water is 34,25 to 35 parts per 1 000 around the area although it can reach levels up to 36. This follows through into the strength of the flavour of Anglesey sea salt/Halen Môn, so less is needed to season food.
In addition, the sandbank and mussel bank allow the water to be pre-filtered, the shellfish also drawing calcium out of the seawater in the growing season. The quality of the raw material has a direct effect on the quality of the sea salt. Equally the rinsing process is unique to this product.
5.2.   Specificity of the product

It is due to its mineral content that Anglesey sea salt/Halen Môn is demonstrably different in appearance, texture, taste and mouth feel. Its flakes are large, crisp, flat and not granular. It has a concentrated salty taste with a crunchy texture. It is the rinsing of the salt which gives it a white appearance and has a clean taste with no bitterness which can be caused by an excess of calcium.
The raw materials of pure seawater, the method of crystallising and rinsing the salt which gives Anglesey Sea salt/Halen Môn unique qualities. It is an additive free sea salt consisting of natural occurring trace elements and minerals.
Anglesey Sea salt/Halen Môn is well established and highly recognised by the food industry both in the UK and worldwide. As a quality product it is used by many top chefs and gastronomes and it regularly appears as a named ingredient on their menus. Many renowned restaurateurs and agri-food businesses have demonstrated their preference for this salt.
Here are comments recognising the taste and the region of Anglesey Sea Salt/Halen Môn.

‘Anglesey sea salt/Halen Môn is unsurpassed: it has a pure taste, perfect bite and a deliciously crunchy texture.’

Chris Chown
Chef Proprietor, Plas Bodegroes, Pwllheli, Wales

‘I use Anglesey sea salt/Halen Môn because it fits with my food philosophy; good ingredients require little work to turn them into great meals. Anglesey Sea Salt/Halen Môn enhances every dish I add it to.’

Jane Milton
Food Industry Expert, blogger and chef

‘Anglesey Sea Salt/Halen Môn is extracted with great care using an innovative system that preserves all the trace elements and minerals of the fresh tumbling sea water of the Menai Strait. The complex mineral structure of Anglesey Sea Salt/Halen Môn makes all the taste areas on the palate highly sensitive and lively, and hence makes food taste exceedingly vibrant.’

Colin Pressdee
Food writer

‘The delicate flakes of the Organic Sea Salt leave a delicious lingering taste on the lips, like the clear Anglesey seawater from which they are taken, and add a tantalising depth to every dish in which they are used… It’s life changing stuff.’

Simon Majumdar
Author, food writer and broadcaster
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)

Historically, the first records of salt making on the island of Anglesey were in Roman times, rising to a peak in the early 18th century. There are remains of a salt works in Holyhead at the north of the island on ‘Salt Island’ (or ‘Ynys Halen’ in Welsh) which is connected by a road to the main island. Salt Island gained its name from the salt works which processed sea water to make sea salt. The factory was closed down in the 18th Century as rock salt was being used to ‘strengthen the brine’ which was seen as adulteration.
The Menai Strait is served by the clean Gulf Stream and does not have any large cities or heavy industrial sites present on its banks. Added to this, the extreme tidal range which results in the twice daily change of the water in the Strait by the incoming tide, provides the balance of trace elements which refreshes the seawater every day and gives Anglesey sea salt/Halen Môn is characteristic taste and appearance.
The correct level of taste and appearance of the salt is reached from the expert and skilled artisan training.

Reference to publication of the specification

(the second subparagraph of Article 6(1) of this Regulation)
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/730659/anglesey-sea-salt-spec-amended.pdf


(1)  OJ L 179, 19.6.2014, p. 17.