Publication of an approved standard amendment to a product specification of a protected designation of origin or protected geographical indication in the sector of the agricultural products and foodstuffs, as referred to in Article 6b(2) and (3) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 664/2014 2023/C 86/14
Date: 2023-03-08
Institutions: Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, European Commission
Subjects: France, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Occitanie, consumer information, designation of origin, fresh meat, frozen product, labelling, product designation, quality control of agricultural products, sheepmeat








C_2023086EN.01002801.xml










8.3.2023   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 86/28






Publication of an approved standard amendment to a product specification of a protected designation of origin or protected geographical indication in the sector of the agricultural products and foodstuffs, as referred to in Article 6b(2) and (3) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 664/2014
(2023/C 86/14)
This communication is published in accordance with Article 6b(5) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 664/2014 (1).

Communicating the approval of a standard amendment to the product specification of a protected designation of origin or protected geographical indication originating in a Member State (Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012)


‘Agneau du Quercy’


EU No: PGI-FR-0185-AM01 –8.12.2022


PDO ( ) PGI (X)

1.   Name of product

‘Agneau du Quercy’
2.   Member State to which the geographical area belongs

France
3.   Member State authority communicating the standard amendment

Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty
4.   Description of the approved amendment(s)

4.1.   Responsible department in the Member State

The contact details of the National Institute of Origin and Quality (INAO), as the competent authority in the Member State in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012, have been added.
4.2.   Applicant group

The contact details of the applicant group have been updated. The descriptive part regarding the applicant group has been deleted. The various categories of operators making up the group have been added.
4.3.   Type of product

This section has been revised in line with the nomenclature currently in force.
4.4.   Description of the product

The age of the lambs at slaughter has been changed from between 90 and 180 days, as it was in the initial product specification, to between 60 and 150 days.
The description of the product therefore highlights its main characteristics, namely the fact that the lambs are young (slaughtered at between 60 and 150 days old) and light (carcass weight of 13 to 22 kg) and are suckled for a long period (at least 70 days, or until slaughter if they are slaughtered at between 60 and 69 days).
The criteria for selecting carcasses have been added (‘conformation classes: U, R or O’ and ‘degree of fat cover: 2 or 3’). The characteristics of the lamb meat have also been defined and added to this section (‘firm to very firm fat; fat that is white to slightly pink in colour; raw meat that is light pink in colour.’).
These points are set out again under sub-section 5.6 ‘Slaughter’.
The existing information concerning the breed of the animals, the steps in production that take place in the geographical area and shed farming has been moved and expanded in the section on the production method.
A sentence has been added on the possibility of shipping the products either wholesale or packaged.
For products covered by the PGI, a list of offal products and their characteristics has been added. The offal products concerned are the liver, heart, spleen, lungs, tongue, brain, sweetbreads, kidneys and testicles. Only this offal taken from carcasses of lambs selected for the PGI are allowed.
As regards deep-freezing, the possibility of marketing deep-frozen meat and offal of ‘Agneau du Quercy’ has been added.
The product specification sets out the conditions for the deep-freezing (a process enabling a core temperature of -18 °C to be reached within a maximum of 10 hours), and fixes a date of minimum durability and a maximum period between slaughter and deep-freezing under sub-section 5.8.
4.5.   Geographical area

A sentence has been added recalling the steps of production that take place in the geographical area, namely the lambs’ entire life cycle from birth to slaughter, and indicating the date of the Official Geographic Code.
The description of the geographical area by canton or district has been replaced by a list of municipalities per department. These amendments do not affect the perimeter of the geographical area, which remains unchanged.
The maps in the product specification have been deleted.
4.6.   Evidence that the product originates in the area

In accordance with the guidelines in force at national level to harmonise the drafting of product specifications, a sentence on the need for operators to apply to the applicant group has been added at the beginning of the section.
This section has been completely rewritten and reformatted as a table. The documents, records and information required at each stage of the product’s life cycle (rearing, slaughter, cutting/packaging, deep-freezing) have been added to this section.
A detailed description of bottom-up and top-down traceability to guarantee the origin of ‘Agneau du Quercy’ has also been added.
For the sake of clarity, the concept of a slaughter batch has been defined as a variable quantity of lambs belonging to the same farmer intended to be slaughtered on the same day by the same slaughterer.
The obligation to keep documents related to traceability for 3 years has been added.
The points covered by the control procedure laid down in the control plan have been deleted. The reference to the AGATE software used in slaughterhouses has also been deleted as it is no longer used.
4.7.   Production method

A diagram of the life cycle of the product showing the different stages of the production method has been added in line with the other amendments made to the product specification.
This section has been completely rewritten in order to describe the specific features of farming ‘Agneau du Quercy’ more precisely. New sub-sections have therefore been created for each step of production. The four points of the initial product specification that set out the production steps to be taken in the PGI area (birth, rearing and slaughter), suckling requirements (suckled for at least 70 days on the mother’s milk), shed farming and age at slaughter (slaughtered at between 90 and 180 days old) have been divided into corresponding sub-sections and expanded.
Sub-section 5.2 ‘Specificities relating to farming’
The steps to be taken in the geographical area remain unchanged. The sentence has been amended to add the obligation for lambs to be reared on the same holding from birth to slaughter.
Sub-section 5.3.1 ‘The flock’s diet’
This sub-section has been added to describe the diet of the breeding flock (fathers and mothers), which may alternate periods out of doors or in sheds throughout the year. A list of prohibited raw materials and additives has been added in order to regulate practices, and a requirement for every holding to be at least 55 % feed self-sufficient in dry matter has been added (not applicable to transhumance systems).
Sub-section 5.3.2 ‘Feeding of the lambs’
The obligation for lambs to suckle for 70 days is maintained. In line with the change in the slaughter age, the possibility of slaughtering unweaned lambs between 60 and 69 days old has been added. The sentence has also been amended to replace ‘fed on their mother’s milk’ with ‘suckled’, in order to take account of any exchanges of lambs between mothers due to adoption or suckling problems.
A ban on bottle-feeding has been added.
This section has been supplemented with the list of raw materials used to feed the lambs and the list of banned additives and raw materials, in order to describe the actual practices of ‘Agneau du Quercy’ PGI farmers more precisely. This enables farmers to regulate this stage of production precisely, standardise production on all holdings and avoid using raw materials that could affect the health of the lambs (weaken the digestive system) or the quality of the product.
In line with the nomenclature of the European regulation on the catalogue of feed materials (Regulation (EU) No 68/2013), a list of raw materials authorised for feeding the lambs has been added.
A list of banned raw materials and additives has also been added and supplemented by a ban on the use of fodder preserved by silaging and baling in the lambs’ feed.
A minimum percentage of 30 % cereals and cereal derivatives in the lambs’ compound feed has been added to ensure a balanced diet.
The point concerning the definition of ‘Agneau du Quercy’ as a ‘shed-farmed lamb’ has been amended to include the possibility for lambs to accompany their mothers outside.
An obligation to separate the lambs’ pens from the ewes’ feed has been added.
Sub-sections 5.4 ‘Comfort and sanitary conditions on the farm’ and 5.5 ‘Collection and transport of lambs’
With regard to the sub-section on ‘Genetic origin’: The initial product specification stated that ‘Agneau du Quercy’ came ‘mainly’ from the Caussenarde du Lot breed. This name has been replaced with the official name of the breed, Causses du Lot.
Two breeds have been added to the list of authorised breeds for the mothers: the Blanche du Massif Central and the Lacaune viande. These three breeds may be used pure-bred or as first-generation crossbreeds.
A list of breeds for the fathers has been added, taken from hardy and meat breeds and used pure-bred. Depending on what the lambs are intended for, the farmer chooses a father of the most appropriate breed: meat breeds for the conformation of the lambs and hardy breeds for the replacement of ewe lambs.
As regards the fitting-out of buildings (sheds, transit centres), new obligations have been added to cover the PGI producers’ usual practices (access to food and water, density of animals in the building, quality of bedding and cleaning of buildings).
As regards animal care, animal handling requirements have been added (with care, ban on grabbing animals by the wool), as well as a ban on the castration of males.
As regards veterinary care, new obligations have been added to regulate the use and traceability of medicated feed.
In order to regulate the animal transport stage and minimise stress, a maximum journey time of 8 hours has been added.
Sub-section 5.6 ‘Slaughter’
In line with the amendment set out under ‘Description of the product’, the age of the lambs at slaughter has been modified, reducing it to between 60 and 150 days (instead of 90 to 180 days previously).
The requirement has been supplemented by a reference to the fact that lambs slaughtered at between 60 and 69 days old are unweaned.
A maximum period of 24 hours has been set between the arrival of the lambs and slaughter.
Conditions for the chilling of carcasses have been defined and added to this section (core temperature, lack of condensation).
The criteria for the selection of carcasses have been added, as well as the conditions for storing and selecting carcasses (entire carcasses, storage room, after chilling, cold inspection).
Sub-section 5.7 ‘Selection of offal’
Requirements relating to the selection of offal have been added, according to which it should be taken from ‘Agneau du Quercy’ PGI lambs when it is separated from the carcasses.
Sub-section 5.9 ‘Cutting and packaging’
Requirements have been added that packaging must take place in the cutting plant immediately after cutting, and that the meat may be packaged wholesale or in consumer sales units.
4.8.   Link

The section entitled ‘Link with the geographical area’ has been completely rewritten, but the substance has not changed. It has been reorganised into three parts to distinguish the specific characteristics of the geographical area, the specific characteristics of the product and the causal link.
4.9.   Inspection body

In accordance with the guidelines in force at national level to harmonise the drafting of product specifications, the name and contact details of the certification body and the control plan in table form have been deleted.
Under this heading, the contact details of the authorities responsible for national inspections are now provided, i.e. the National Institute of Origin and Quality (INAO) and the Directorate-General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Prevention (DGCCRF). The name and contact details of the certification body can be consulted via the website of the INAO and the European Commission’s database.
4.10.   
Labelling


The requirement for the lamb to be sold with a PGI logo has been deleted.
In accordance with the guidelines in force at national level to harmonise the drafting of product specifications, the points relating to labelling in the initial product specification have been deleted and replaced by a sentence describing the mandatory regulatory elements.
4.11.   
National requirements


In the light of national legislative and regulatory developments, the points in this section have been deleted and replaced by a table of the main points to be checked in accordance with national rules.
SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘Agneau du Quercy’


EU No: PGI-FR-0185-AM01


PDO ( ) PGI (X)

1.   Name(s)

‘Agneau du Quercy’
2.   Member State or Third Country

France
3.   Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1.   Type of product

Class 1.1. Fresh meat (and offal)
3.2.   Description of the product to which the name in (1) applies

‘Agneau du Quercy’ PGI meat and offal comes from lambs that have a carcass weight of 13 to 22 kg, have suckled for at least 70 days (or until slaughter if they are slaughtered between 60 and 69 days), and are aged between 60 and 150 days.
Carcass characteristics:
conformation classes: U, R or O;
degree of fat cover: 2 or 3.
Lamb meat characteristics:
firm to very firm fat;
fat that is white to slightly pink in colour;
raw meat that is light pink in colour.
Offal characteristics:
Whole pluck (liver, heart, spleen, lungs)
Liver: uniform red to light brown colour.
Heart: firm texture.
Spleen: spongy and soft appearance.
Lungs: well-vascularised lobes and a spongy texture.
Tongue: firm texture, uniform grey colour (without blemishes).
Brain: well-irrigated appearance, well-formed lobe, pale colour.
Sweetbreads: whitish colour and melt-in-the-mouth texture.
Kidneys: no smell of urine, red to light brown colour, firm texture.
Testicles: oval shape, well-developed internal texture.
The lamb meat and offal may be sold fresh or deep-frozen.
The products are shipped either wholesale or packaged.
3.3.   Feed (for products of animal origin only) and raw materials (for processed products only)

The flock’s diet:
Adult animals alternate periods spent entirely out of doors with periods in sheds and mixed periods including time out of doors and time in sheds.
Apart from transhumance systems, resources produced on the farm (including pasture) make up the bulk of the flock’s diet: the minimum percentage of feed self-sufficiency is 55 % in dry matter.
Feeding of the lambs:
The lambs are suckled for at least 70 days (or until slaughter if they are slaughtered at between 60 and 69 days).
Bottle-feeding is prohibited.
3.4.   Specific steps in production that must take place in the identified geographical area

‘Agneau du Quercy’ lambs are born and reared in the defined geographical area.
3.5.   Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc. of the product the registered name refers to

Slaughter takes place in the geographical area.
The maximum journey time is 8 hours.
It was already mandatory for the lambs to be slaughtered in the geographical area.
3.6.   Specific rules concerning labelling of the product the registered name refers to

The labelling includes the registered name of the product and the European Union PGI symbol in the same field of vision.
4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

The geographical area for ‘Agneau du Quercy’ PGI comprises the following departments, cantons and municipalities:






—


Department of Aveyron: the cantons of Villefranche de Rouergue and the municipalities of Ambeyrac; Asprieres; Balaguier-d’Olt; Bouillac; Capdenac-Gare; Causse-et-Diege; Foissac; La Capelle-Balaguier; Les Albres; Martiel; Montsales; Morlhon-le-Haut; Naussac; Ols-et-Rinhodes; Sainte-Croix; Saint-Igest; Saint-Remy; Salles-Courbaties; Salvagnac-Cajarc; Saujac; Savignac; Sonnac; Toulonjac; Villeneuve.










—


Department of Corrèze: the cantons of Brive la Gaillarde 1, 2 and 4 and Saint-Pantaléon de Larches and the municipalities of Astaillac; Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne; Bilhac; Branceilles; Brivezac; Chauffour-sur-Vell; Chenailler-Mascheix; Collonges-la-Rouge; Cosnac; Curemonte; Jugeals-Nazareth; La Chapelle-aux-Saints; Lagleygeolle; Ligneyrac; Liourdres; Lostanges; Marcillac-la-Croze; Meyssac; Noailhac; Nonards; Puy-d’Arnac; Queyssac-les-Vignes; Saillac; Saint-Bazile-de-Meyssac; Saint-Julien-Maumont; Sioniac; Tudeils; Végennes.










—


Department of Dordogne: the district of Sarlat la Caneda and the municipalities of Ajat; Auriac-du-Périgord; Azerat; Bars; Blis-et-Born; Brouchaud; Chourgnac; Cubjac; Fanlac; Fossemagne; Gabillou; Hautefort; La Bachellerie; La Boissière-d’Ans; Limeyrat; Mayac; Montagnac-d’Auberoche; Plazac; Saint-Antoine-d’Auberoche; Sainte-Eulalie-d’Ans; Sainte-Orse; Saint-Pantaly-d’Ans; Savignac-les-Eglises; Temple-Laguyon.










—


The entire Department of Lot










—


Department of Lot-et-Garonne: the municipalities of Anthé; Blanquefort-sur-Briolance; Bourlens; Cazideroque; Condezaygues; Courbiac; Cuzorn; Fumel; Masquières; Monsempron-Libos; Montayral; Saint-Front-sur-Lémance; Saint-Georges; Saint-Vite; Sauveterre-la-Lémance; Thézac; Tournon-d'Agenais.










—


Department of Tarn-et-Garonne: the municipalities of Bouloc; Caussade; Caylus; Cayrac; Cayriech; Cazes-Mondenard; Durfort-Lacapelette; Espinas; Labastide-de-Penne; Lacapelle-Livron; Lafrançaise; Lapenche; Lauzerte; Lavaurette; Loze; Mirabel; Montagudet; Montalzat; Montbarla; Monteils; Montfermier; Montpezat-de-Quercy; Montricoux; Mouillac; Puylagarde; Puylaroque; Réalville; Roquecor; Saint-Amans-de-Pellagal; Saint-Cirq; Sainte-Juliette; Saint-Georges; Saint-Projet; Saint-Vincent; Sauveterre; Septfonds; Tréjouls.




5.   Link with the geographical area

The link with the geographical area is based on the quality of the product, which in turn is thanks to the natural and human factors that characterise the area, and on the product’s reputation.
The geographical area of the ‘Agneau du Quercy’ PGI is situated in the south-west of the Massif Central. The Causses du Quercy are located in the Department of Lot and stretch into Corrèze to the north, Dordorgne to the north-west, and Tarn et Garonne and Aveyron to the south. This area stands out for the presence of the causses, or plateaus, that give it its name and cover a substantial part of its area, with the remainder alternating between hills and valleys. The Quercy extension of the Massif Central to the East is more mountainous.
The Causses du Quercy are characterised by a set of limestone plateaus with numerous and varied karstic phenomena. The soluble limestone rocks have been hollowed out and shaped by water, forming underground rivers, chasms like the famous Padirac chasm, dolines and other cavities, some of which have been filled in over time.
It is a fairly harsh and arid region, despite high average rainfall. The soils are shallow and rich in coarse fragments (stones), facilitating drainage. Their useful reserve is severely affected by this, despite their texture being predominantly clayey (75 %) or occasionally loamy (15 %, found mainly in the east of the Causses). ‘The forests are just small, often sparse coppice, becoming garide (grassland with scattered shrubs) on the dry slopes. Crops and grasslands cover only areas of clay resulting from decalcification, in the depressions in the plateau (dolines and dry valleys) or, in particular, at the bottom of the deep valleys where the Lias marl topsoils appear.’ (National Geographic Institute (IGN) Report, 2013).
Quercy’s climate is dominated by oceanic and Mediterranean influences. It is very variable, with hot summers and cold winters; there are many vagaries. Rainfall is slightly higher in the east than in the west (~ 100 mm more).
The dominant botanical landscape is made up of a grouping of three plant communities, the garrisade, the glèbes and the grèzes. The garrisade is the sparsely stocked pubescent oak forest with thorny undergrowth (juniper, blackthorn). The trees are poorly developed, particularly as most of them are debranched for livestock feed. The term ‘glèbes’ refers to the short grass pastures on the plateaus, scrubby grassland interspersed with trees or shrubs. The grèzes are the steppic and bare plant communities where tufts of grass nestle among the dry, rough limestone. The plateaus’ grasslands are naturally stocked with plants beneficial for livestock farming. They are known as ‘dry’ or ‘xeric’ grasslands, because of the high drainage soil. They are self-maintained by the soil’s low capacity to retain rainfall and are also maintained by domestic or wild grazing animals.
It is difficult to make use of this poor-quality land, with low primary productivity. Very early on, the inhabitants of Quercy therefore turned to a type of livestock farming that can cope with poor land – sheep farming. Traces of sheep farming dating from Neolithic times can be found in Quercy: ‘The excavations show that the traditional landscape of the plateaus, with their oak woods, flocks of sheep and wheat fields in the dolines, was formed as early as the Neolithic period’ (Les Richesses de France, No 122, 1985). Traces of its renown can also be found dating from Gallo-Roman times: ‘Sheep farming is the traditional source of income in the Causse: as early as the Gallo-Roman period, bedding and blankets from Cahors were in high demand on the market in Rome (Strabo, Pliny).’ (Bulletin de l’Association de géographes français, No 64, December 1932).
Between the 17th and 18th century, the prosperity of livestock farming was due to two pastoral practices: common grazing, thanks to the existence of devèses, or common land, and normal summer or winter transhumance, the winter transhumance being more unusual. The sheep were raised first and foremost for wool, which was used to make ‘cadis’, a rough but very robust fabric.
Between 1760 and 1830, farming for wool in Quercy was in decline, the transhumance ceased, and at the same time meat from Quercy sheep began to gain recognition. In 1830, there were around 230 000 animals in small flocks for domestic use.
During the 20th century, the adoption of new livestock farming practices enabled farmers to complete the entire pastoral cycle on the plateaus and forage crops were introduced. Livestock farming was then clearly geared towards meat production.
The Causses du Lot breed, an ancestral and hardy breed, has always been present in Quercy. Well adapted to the constraints of the environment, it makes the best possible use of the natural resources in the geographical area. This breed has been, and still is, the predominant breed on ‘Agneau du Quercy’ farms. From the 20th century onwards, wool production gave way to meat production and farmers started to take an interest in genetic advances. Two other breeds started to be reared in Quercy: the Lacaune and the Blanche du Massif Central. These hardy breeds have adapted well to the conditions of the environment and have developed similar abilities to the ancestral breed. They are also easy to breed out of season, allowing lamb to be produced for a large part of the year.
Farmers have been able to put in place a food system adapted to the constraints of the area, using and making the most of natural resources throughout the year in order to produce high-quality lambs. The flock is fed in such a way as to adjust intake according to the needs of the ewes and lambs. Every holding must be at least 55 % feed self-sufficient in dry matter.
‘Agneau du Quercy’ is reared on a single holding from birth to slaughter. At first, the lambs feed exclusively by suckling and stay with the mothers. After this initial stage, the lambs are gradually given a feed supplement for fattening. They also have access to fodder and can accompany the mothers outside.
‘Agneau du Quercy’ lambs are young (maximum 150 days old) and light (carcass weight of 13 to 22 kg). They are suckled and reared principally on the mother’s milk for at least 70 days. They have good conformation and good fat cover.
‘Agneau du Quercy’ meat is characterised by:
firm to very firm fat;
fat that is white to slightly pink in colour;
raw meat that is light pink in colour.
‘Agneau du Quercy’ is a product with a long-standing reputation.
Quercy, and particularly the poor land of the Causses, combined with highly variable climatic conditions, have resulted in an adaptation of the farming systems that now produce ‘Agneau du Quercy’. The Causses offer paths and vegetation that are particularly well suited to sheep, often the only animals able to make use of them. The maintenance of sensitive and abandoned areas is also of significant environmental interest throughout the geographical area.
Due to natural constraints, the ewes reared are of ancestral breeds or breeds selected for their hardiness and ability to exploit the poor land of the Causses. Today’s flocks are shaped by several breeds (pure-bred and cross-bred): the Causses du Lot, the Lacaune and the Blanche du Massif Central. These breeds have very good maternal qualities, in terms of both lambing and suckling. These hardy breeds are crossed with rams to improve conformation. The sheep farmers are masters of cross-breeding, choosing ram breeds in order to have the mating either improve the carcass of the lambs or conserve the maternal qualities of the future mother sheep.
The significant feed self-sufficiency of the holdings enables farmers to make the most of the natural resources in this difficult environment, so mixed farming dominates in the geographical area. The production of cereals on the holding also helps to ensure that the flock’s feed is monitored and optimised.
The specific characteristics of ‘Agneau du Quercy’ are mainly attributable to the traditional way in which the lambs are reared: suckling for at least 70 days, followed by the gradual introduction of a supplement to achieve optimal conformation and fat cover.
The pale pink colour of ‘Agneau du Quercy’ raw meat is attributable to both the age of the lambs at slaughter and to suckling on their mother’s milk for the first 2 months. These characteristics are preserved by the farmers’ willingness and knowledge of how to respect the animals. The animals are reared and transported with care, minimising any source of stress from birth to slaughter and reducing the risk of deterioration of the meat.
The white to slightly pink, firm fat is a result of the lambs’ diet during the fattening stage and the nature of the supplements. Compounds are fed to the lambs in limited quantities so that they eat more fodder and improve their salivation and stomach balance. These elements increase the saturated fatty acid content in the covering fat and ensure a balanced intrinsic fat content. The long suckling period and age at slaughter also have a beneficial effect on the quality of the fat, as the mother’s milk is very rich in fatty acid and young lambs generally have firmer fat.
‘Agneau du Quercy’ has won awards at many events, and the butchers who showcase it sweep up prizes: in total, three 1st prizes for butcher’s shops at the Trophées des Viandes d’Excellence, 1st prize at the international gastronomy competition in 1993, four prizes for traditional butchery at the Trophées des Viandes d’Excellence, including a 1st prize and a prize for excellence, and 1st prize for a farmer/technician partnership in 2011. Finally, ‘Agneau du Quercy’ was awarded a gold medal at the Concours Général Agricole in 2019.
Michelin starred chef Stéphane Andrieux honoured ‘Agneau du Quercy’ by creating a recipe based on it – ‘Rack of Agneau du Quercy lamb with lemon and confit tomato stuffing, and warm multi-coloured carrot jelly’.

Reference to publication of the specification

https://info.agriculture.gouv.fr/gedei/site/bo-agri/document_administratif-4217040f-0f67-4f40-927a-81b4b22cf804


(1)  OJ L 179, 19.6.2014, p. 17.