Publication of an application for registration of a name 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 2023/C 60/24
Date: 2023-02-17
Institutions: Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, European Commission
Subjects: Sweden, Västra Götaland county, bivalve mollusc, consumer information, designation of origin, fresh product, labelling, product designation, quality control of agricultural products








C_2023060EN.01006201.xml










17.2.2023   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 60/62






Publication of an application for registration of a name 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
(2023/C 60/24)
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) within three months from the date of this publication.
SINGLE DOCUMENT

’Bohusläns blåmusslor'


EU No: PDO-SE-02616 — 17.6.2020


PDO (X) PGI ( )

1.   Name(s) [of PDO or PGI]

’Bohusläns blåmusslor'
2.   Member State or Third Country

Sweden
3.   Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1.   Type of product

Class 1.7: Fresh fish, molluscs, and crustaceans and products derived therefrom
3.2.   Description of the product to which the name in (1) applies

‘Bohusläns blåmusslor’ are the blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) cultivated in the archipelago around Bohuslän.
‘Bohusläns blåmusslor’ are characterised by the following:
Physical properties:
Appearance: ‘Bohusläns blåmusslor’ are thin-shelled, with two similar long half shells that taper at one end. The shell is often slightly wider at the base and somewhat flatter than in other areas of water. They are brownish-black in colour, with touches of blue. The inside of the shell is shiny and iridescent. It is pearly white with touches of light blue. The half shells are filled with varying quantities of roe (females) and milt (males).
Size: No more than 50 mussels per kg.
Length: Varies between 4,5 and 10 cm.
Mussel flesh content: At least 20 % of the live weight is mussel flesh.
Chemical characteristics:
Water: 85 g/100 g edible part
Protein: 10-12 g/100 g edible part
Fat: 1,4-1,6 g/100 g edible part
of which
Saturates: 0,25-0,4 g/100 g edible part
Mono-unsaturates: 0,3-0,4 g/100 g edible part
Polyunsaturates: 0,4-0,5 g/100 g edible part
of which
Omega-3 fatty acids: 0,30-0,35 g/100 g edible part
Omega-6 fatty acids: 0,10-0,15 g/100 g edible part
Organoleptic characteristics:
Colour: The muscle flesh is shiny, with a yellow to light brown tone that in berried females may have a pink tinge during the spawning season.
Aroma: A fresh, distinct impression of sea and seaweed, with notes of nuts and earth.
Flavour: Distinctly fresh, with notes of umami, nuts and crab. The latter flavours are more prominent during the spawning season between May and July.
Consistency: Smooth, with a solid texture that is firm to the bite without seeming chewy.
Storage life: ‘Bohusläns blåmusslor’ keep fresh for 7-11 days provided the cold chain is unbroken.
3.3.   Feed (for products of animal origin only) and raw materials (for processed products only)

‘Bohusläns blåmusslor’ feed by filtering phytoplankton that are naturally present in the water.
Raw materials: The type of mussel cultivated for the production of ‘Bohusläns blåmusslor’ is the blue mussel naturally present in the production area (Mytilus edulis). ‘Bohusläns blåmusslor’ are grown freely suspended on lines, without contact with the sea floor, at a maximum depth of approximately 9 metres.
‘Bohusläns blåmusslor’ are harvested year round at an age of at least 15 months.
3.4.   Specific steps in production that must take place in the identified geographical area

The cultivation and cleaning of ‘Bohusläns blåmusslor’ must take place in the geographical area described in point 4.
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

—
4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

The production area for ‘Bohusläns blåmusslor’ consists of the archipelago around Bohuslän, from the Norwegian border in the north to the River Nordre in the south, as well as the section of the Bohuslän coast within 5 km of the coastline at normal water level in the following parishes and districts:
Hodal, Strömstad and Tjärnö parishes in Vätte shipping district;
Lur and Tanum parishes in Tanum shipping district;
Kville, Svenneby and Bottna parishes in Kville shipping district;
Tossene and Askum parishes in Sotenäs shipping district;
Bro, Brasäter and Lyse parishes in Stagenäs shipping district;
Håby and Foss parishes in Tunge shipping district;
Skredsvik, Herrestad, Högås, Bokenäs, Dragsmark and Bäve parishes in Lane shipping district;
Forshälla, Resteröd and Ljung parishes in Fräkne shipping district;
Skaftö, Torp, Myckleby, Långelanda, Stala, Tegneby, Röra and Morlanda parishes in Ordost shipping district;
Klövedal, Valla and Stenkyrka parishes in Tjörn shipping district;
Ödsmål, Norum, Jörlanda, Solberg and Hålta parishes in Inlands Nordre shipping district;
Lycke, Marstrand, Torsby and Harestad parishes in Inlands Söndre shipping district.
5.   Link with the geographical area

The link between the geographical area and the specific characteristics of ‘Bohusläns blåmusslor’ is based both on the natural conditions of the area and on human factors.

Special characteristics of the product

‘Bohusläns blåmusslor’ are grown on freely hanging lines without the mussels having contact with the sea floor. As a result, ‘Bohusläns blåmusslor’, unlike several other types of mussels present on the market, are free from sand and clay.
‘Bohusläns blåmusslor’ are thin-shelled and well fed (at least 20 % of live weight is mussel flesh). The half shells are usually slightly flatter and wider at the base than the half shells of blue mussels grown in other water areas.
‘Bohusläns blåmusslor’ have shiny mussel flesh. ‘Bohusläns blåmusslor’ have a fresh smell of sea and seaweed, with hints of nuts and a fresh taste with noticeable notes of umami, nuts and crab. The texture is firm, which gives a pleasant mouthfeel.

Description of the natural factors relevant to the link

The production area for ‘Bohusläns blåmusslor’ is in the part of the Skagerrak that consists of the Bohuslän archipelago. This archipelago essentially consists of just one or two island chains separating the mainland from the high seas with its often strong sea state and strong winds.
The temperature, salinity and nutritient conditions of the water, together with the presence of pelagic larvae of the naturally occurring blue mussel (Mytilus edulis), form the natural conditions on which the cultivation of ‘Bohusläns blåmusslor’ is founded.
The natural conditions for cultivation are defined by a number of sea currents. The most important of these is the Baltic current, which transports nutrient-rich water from the Baltic estuary in Öresund northwards on to the production area. As it moves northwards along the west coast of Sweden, the Baltic current gains further nutrients from rivers, mainly the rivers Göta and Nordre.
When the Baltic current reaches Skagerrak, it has a salt content of between 24 and 28 %. Its relatively low salt content means the current forms a layer above the much saltier water in Skagerrak (35-37 %). The surface water of the layer is maintained at an average temperature of 10-11 °C. Deeper in the layer, the average temperature in the water layer drops to 8-9 °C.
The levels of nutrients, mainly phosphorus and nitrogen, in the production area of ‘Bohusläns blåmusslor’ vary throughout the year and, as a result of increased run-off from land, are higher in winter than in summer. The phosphorus and nitrogen content therefore varies between 0,4 and 1,0 μM and 15 and 21 μM respectively.
The temperature and layering of the nutritious surface water flowing on top of the saltier water in the production area favours the growth of the phytoplankton which constitutes the main diet of ‘Bohusläns blåmusslor’ (phytoplankton content measured as chlorophyll A is 1,2 to 3,0 μg/litre). The high availability of food means that ‘Bohusläns blåmusslor’ grow rapidly, which in turn makes the mussels thin-shelled and well-fed, with mussel flesh that has a characteristic taste and aroma.

Description of the human factors relevant to the link

The cultivation of ‘Bohusläns blåmusslor’ requires a flow of nutritious water with the right salinity and temperature to ensure that the mussels have good access to food and that the farms are naturally supplied with blue mussel larvae.
At the same time, strong winds and sea states have a negative impact on the cultivation of the blue mussels and on the ability to harvest ‘Bohusläns blåmusslor’ in autumn and winter, when conditions in the production area are often affected by storms and bad gales.
When selecting the location of ‘Bohusläns blåmusslor’ cultivation sites, growers must take the above factors into account. The growers select suitable locations for cultivating ‘Bohusläns blåmusslor’ by combining traditional knowledge of local conditions in different parts of the production area (winds, wind directions and currents) with information on the characteristics of the marine environment (water temperature, salinity, nutrient conditions) from the analyses carried out regularly in the production area.
The characteristics of ‘Bohusläns blåmusslor’ also depend on the way in which the mussels are handled after harvesting. In order to preserve the characteristics of the growing mussels, the growers chill the freshly harvested mussels with circulating seawater (5-6 °C) within five hours of harvesting. In the summer, between June and August, when the air temperature is relatively high, the mussels are chilled directly on board the harvesting vessel. The mussels harvested are cooled in water basins or large bags. The freshly harvested mussels can be stored in the cooling water for up to seven days without it affecting the characteristics of the mussels, provided that the mussels are rested during storage.
Before ‘Bohusläns blåmusslor’ are packed for sale, they are brushed free of seaweed and other growths. The mussels are then inspected manually to ensure that those sold meet the quality requirements of ‘Bohusläns blåmusslor’.
The cultivation of ‘Bohusläns blåmusslor’ is based on the sustainable management of the blue mussel population and requires growers to have knowledge of the lifecycle of the blue mussel and of the conditions for growing blue mussels in the natural conditions of the ‘Bohusläns blåmusslor’ production area.

Reference to publication of the specification

https://www.livsmedelsverket.se/globalassets/foretag-regler-kontroll/livsmedelsinformation-markning-halsopastaenden/skyddade-beteckningar/produktspecifikation_blamusslor_2022_10_12.pdf


(1)  OJ L 343, 14.12.2012, p. 1.