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 290/08
Date: 2023-08-18
Institutions: Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, European Commission
Subjects: Continental Croatia, Croatia, consumer information, designation of origin, fresh meat, labelling, pigmeat, product designation, quality control of agricultural products




C_2023290EN.01006001.xml










18.8.2023   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 290/60






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 290/08)
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

’Meso crne slavonske svinje'


EU No: PDO-HR-02818-26.11.2021


PDO (x) PGI ( )

1.   Name(s) [of PDO or PGI]

’Meso crne slavonske svinje'
2.   Member State or Third Country

Republic of Croatia
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

‘Meso crne slavonske svinje’ is a fresh meat obtained by slaughtering male and female pigs from the category of piglets and fattening pigs that are the offspring of sows and boars of the Black Slavonian pig (Fajferica) breed, of suitable age and final body weight, kept in specific housing conditions (extensive and semi-intensive system) and under a suitable feeding regime.
‘Meso crne slavonske svinje’ is obtained from piglets slaughtered at the age of 120-150 days with a live body weight of 20–30 kg and from fattening pigs slaughtered at the age of 450–730 days with a live body weight of 100–170 kg. The slaughtered carcasses of piglets weigh 12–22 kg, those of fattening pigs 55–120 kg. The slaughtered carcasses (from the pubis to the first cervical vertebra, the atlas) are 60–80 cm long for piglets and 90–115 cm long for fattening pigs. The lean-meat content of the slaughtered carcasses ranges from 55 % to 60 % for piglets and from 35 % to 45 % for fattening pigs. Depending on age and how the animals are kept, the proportion of intramuscular fat is greater than 5 %, which gives the meat its ‘marbled’ appearance.
The fatty tissue of ‘Meso crne slavonske svinje’ is white.
The chemical composition of ‘Meso crne slavonske svinje’ in each production phase must meet the requirements set out in the table below:








Ingredient


Piglets


Fattening pigs up to 120 kg


Fattening pigs from 120 kg to 180 kg




Fat (%)


> 2,0 


> 4,0 


> 5,0 




Protein (%)


> 21,0 


> 23,0 


> 23,0 




Ash (%)


< 1,5 


< 1,5 


< 1,5 




Water (%)


< 75,0 


< 75,0 


< 75,0 




‘Meso crne slavonske svinje’ is placed on the market as chilled (fresh) or frozen meat in the form of whole carcasses, half-carcasses, parts of half-carcasses with the bone (carcass-quarters, primal cuts (leg, shoulder, belly, blade, loin)) and as deboned meat (by the piece or sliced, in bulk or packaged). ‘Meso crne slavonske svinje’ is eaten in cooked form.
3.3.   Feed (for products of animal origin only) and raw materials (for processed products only)

During the lactation period, the piglets receive a supplement of a ready-made feed mix (20 % crude protein). After weaning and during rearing in the open air, they are fed a mixture of cereals (maize, barley, wheat, triticale) and legumes (soybeans, field peas, lupines, beans) with a supplement addition of coarse fodder (fresh green alfalfa, clover/grass mixtures, pumpkins, nettles, alfalfa hay). Crude protein must account for at least 16 % of the piglets’ ration during rearing. The use of genetically modified feed is not permitted in the piglets’ diet. The piglets are fed meals, and the use of vitamin-mineral supplements is permitted. A sufficient supply of fresh drinking water must be available to the piglets at all times.
While being kept in the open air, the fattening pigs are fed a mixture of cereals (maize, barley, wheat, triticale, oats) and legumes (soybeans, field peas, lupines, beans) with a supplement of coarse fodder and forest nuts (acorns, chestnuts, beech nuts). Crude protein must account for at least 12 % of the fattening pigs’ ration. The use of genetically modified feed is not permitted in the fattening pigs’ diet. The fattening pigs are fed meals. A sufficient supply of fresh drinking water must be available to the fattening pigs at all times.
All the feed given to the animals must originate in the area defined in point 4. Exceptionally, in the event of natural disasters preventing the production of feed in the defined area, the feed may be bought from other areas, for which the owner must provide documentary evidence. Nonetheless, feed sourced from outside the defined area must not exceed 50 % of dry matter on an annual basis.
3.4.   Specific steps in production that must take place in the identified geographical area

All stages in the production of ‘Meso crne slavonske svinje’, from farrowing and rearing, fattening and feeding, to slaughtering of the pig, processing of the carcass and placing on the market, must take place in the geographical area defined in point 4.
3.5.   Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc. of the product the registered name refers to

To ensure effective controls and traceability, all steps in the production of ‘Meso crne slavonske svinje’, as well as packaging and labelling, must take place in the defined geographical area. It is important that the product be packaged in the defined geographical area, so as to ensure that the meat remains fresh and retains its quality and hygiene. That way, the possibility of microbiological contamination is reduced to a minimum.
3.6.   Specific rules concerning labelling of the product the registered name refers to

When placed on the market, the finished product ‘Meso crne slavonske svinje’ must include the logo, producer’s name and protected designation of origin mark. The product logo has the shape of an irregular pentagon, with a square base facing upwards and a triangular tip facing downwards. The pentagon is dark red with a gold edge. There is a stylised image of a black pig in the centre of the pentagon. Above the stylised black pig is text containing the product name ‘Meso crne slavonske svinje’, which is written in a golden-yellow colour in the Papyrus font. Beneath the stylised black pig are three stylised gold stars.





4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

‘Meso crne slavonske svinje’ is produced in the area of continental Croatia, which consists of 13 counties and the city of Zagreb. ‘Meso crne slavonske svinje’ is produced exclusively within the administrative boundaries of the towns and municipalities of the following counties: Vukovar-Syrmia, Osijek-Baranja, Slavonski Brod-Posavina, Požega-Slavonia, Virovitica-Podravina, Bjelovar-Bilogora, Koprivnica-Križevci, Međimurje, Varaždin, Krapina-Zagorje, Zagreb, Sisak Moslavina, and Karlovac. Pigs are traditionally bred in this area, and the traditional pig-breeding method is almost identical in all parts of the defined area, as a result of its specific geographical and climatic characteristics. The production area of ‘Meso crne slavonske svinje’ is bounded mainly by the Croatian state border with Hungary to the north, Serbia to the east, and Bosnia and Herzegovina to the south and south-east, where the border stretches along the Sava and Una Rivers. The boundary of the production area of ‘Meso crne slavonske svinje’ to the south-west is formed by the border between Karlovac County and the counties of Lika-Senj, Primorje-Gorski Kotar and Zadar.
5.   Link with the geographical area

The protection of the product ‘Meso crne slavonske svinje’ is based on the specific quality of the meat resulting from the genetic basis, the way in which the pigs are kept and fed, and the pigs’ age at slaughter.
5.1.   Specificity of the geographical area

The geographical area in which ‘Meso crne slavonske svinje’ is produced shows considerable topographical variety. It is characterised by a lowland area to the east and a mountainous area to the west and south-west created by the Hercynian orogeny. The rest of the landscape was mainly formed by fluvial (flowing rivers) and aeolian (wind) processes that resulted in accumulations (deposition) and erosions (weathering). These processes led to the formation of flood plains, meanders and oxbow lakes, but also river terraces outside flood zones that were fit for human settlement and agricultural use, and areas of aeolian accumulation of black soil and fine-grained material (loess) suitable for agricultural exploitation. These processes led to the creation of several types of soil (humus-rich black soil, brown soil, marshy black soil, alluvial soil and podzols or leached soil).
The area of continental Croatia in which ‘Meso crne slavonske svinje’ is produced is characterised by a moderately warm, humid climate, with warm summers and relatively mild winters. The average air temperature is 10,7 °C. Monthly mean temperatures reach their peak in July (less frequently in August or June), averaging 19,5–21,9 °C, as measured at weather stations. January is the coldest month, with a mean temperature of -1,4–1,2 °C. Average annual precipitation ranges from 700 mm (in summer) to 1 400 mm (in winter). Relative humidity averages around 80 % per year, with a deficit of humidity in the spring and summer months and predominantly humid winter months, and very few extremely dry days with average humidity of less than 30 %. The rivers contribute to the area’s increased humidity.
The specific climatic and topographical characteristics also led to the development of extensive forests, predominantly willow, alder, poplar, pedunculate oak, sessile oak, hornbeam, chestnut and beech (above 300 m). The fertile land and abundance of rivers led to the settlement of humans in the past, who mainly engaged in agricultural production as well as crop and livestock farming. The crop and livestock production also adapted to the climate conditions and the specific geographical characteristics of the defined area. The climatic and topographical features of Slavonia had a significant influence on agricultural development. The favourable climatic conditions for cereal production and vast pasturelands on river floodplains have been especially favourable to the development of livestock farming, in particular pig breeding. Pig breeding in Slavonia has changed throughout history, from the initial breeding on estates, through land breeding, where almost every family in the countryside raised pigs to meet their own needs, to the development of large agro-industrial systems in which pigs were kept on large farms.
On his estates in Orlovnjak, Bezenica, Višnjevci and Gladoš, Count Dragutin Karlo Pfeiffer de Orlovnjak selectively bred numerous domestic animal species, the most famous of which was the Black Slavonian pig, which was later named Fajferica after him, a name that survives to this day. Recognising the specific characteristics of the climate and soil, Pfeiffer wished to create a breed of pig that would be more mature, fertile and meatier at an earlier age than the pigs being bred at the time in Slavonia. He also aimed to create a breed of pig whose anatomic properties and appearance would adapt to being kept in the open air, on floodplain pastures. The Black Slavonian pig (Fajferica) began to spread throughout Pannonian Croatia, including the area around Zagreb and in Baranja County. Nearly all breeders adopted the same method for breeding the Black Slavonian pig. The pigs were bred in the open, in herds (semi-nomadic herding), and having adapted well to the climate conditions, this was the most numerous pig breed in Pannonian Croatia up to the middle of the 20th century (Specijalno stočarstvo, Hrasnica et al, 1964, pp. 250–253).
5.2.   Specificity of the product

The Black Slavonian pig (Fajferica) breed came about as a result of increased demand for pork. From the very beginning, ‘Meso crne slavonske svinje’ has been regarded as being of a higher quality than the meat of other pig breeds available on the market. Ritzoffy (M. Kurbanović, Uzgoj svinja [Pig breeding], 1943) states that the Black Slavonian pig breed was created to improve on the meat of the Mangalica breed, while developing its fattening capacity, adding that ‘the Black Slavonian pig had more meat than the Mangalica. There is a 5–10 % difference in the meat content. The meat of the Black Slavonian pig is of the highest quality.’ In a publication from 1950 on the quality of the half-carcass and meat of the Black Slavonian pig, S. Pribičević states that the breed ‘matures early, is sufficiently fertile, suitable for fattening, makes good use of feed, yields good meat with a favourable meat-to-fat ratio, makes good use of the pasture and is well adapted to our housing and feeding conditions’. In a publication entitled ‘Klaoničke vrijednosti kod tovljenika različitih pasmina svinja’ [Slaughter values among fattening pigs of different breeds], Ilančić and Adilović state that the average lean-meat content of carcasses of fattened Black Slavonian pigs is nearly 39 %, which was 8 % higher than for Mangalica.
One of the key properties of the quality of pork that has a significant impact on taste and aroma is the intramuscular fat content, which nowadays for most commercial pig breeds and hybrids does not exceed 2 %. ‘Meso crne slavonske svinje’ of all categories is distinguished by a higher proportion of intramuscular fat in the dorsal muscle than commercial pig breeds, types and hybrids. Depending on age and how the animals are kept, the proportion of intramuscular fat of the Black Slavonian pig (Fajferica) is greater than 5 %, which gives the meat its ‘marbled’ appearance. The high proportion of fat makes the meat more succulent, something that is particularly prized among consumers nowadays. Due to its freedom to move around and graze in the open, and its slow growth, which forms part of the natural rhythms of life, the Black Slavonian pig has a stronger constitution. At the same time, it has a greater quantity of fatty tissue in the carcass, especially in the muscles. The greater proportion of fat in the muscles accounts for the pronounced softness and succulence of ‘Meso crne slavonske svinje’ when cooked, which gives it an extremely soft chewing consistency compared with pork obtained from commercial pig breeds, types and hybrids.
A survey in 2017 of consumers’ preferences for pork and their perception of Black Slavonian pig (Fajferica) products found considerable interest in consuming ‘Meso crne slavonske svinje’. This is demonstrated by the fact that a majority of respondents (74 %) would be willing to spend more for ‘Meso crne slavonske svinje’ if they were sure that it was produced in a traditional and environmentally friendly way.
5.3.   Causal link between the geographical area and the product

Pig farming has long been the main branch of livestock farming in Slavonia, thanks to the fertile soil for growing cereals, which form the basis of the pigs’ diet.
The area’s natural features – its fertile plains, vast river floodplains, hilly and mountainous areas, and abundance of forests – as well as its traditional form of pig production and the fact that the pigs are kept in the open air, have been especially favourable to the breeding of the Black Slavonian pig, which is extremely resistant to the climate conditions.
The specific method for producing ‘Meso crne slavonske svinje’ results from the geographical and climatic conditions and the particular technological processes in pig production that have emerged as a result of the knowledge and experience of the local inhabitants. These technological processes in pig production have developed by adapting to the specific geographical and climatic conditions and largely determine the specificity of ‘Meso crne slavonske svinje’.
The quality of ‘Meso crne slavonske svinje’ is the result of its genetic basis, but above all the way in which the pigs are kept and fed and the pigs’ age at slaughter. The very good qualitative and technological properties of ‘Meso crne slavonske svinje’ (the darker colour of the meat, its greater degree of firmness, higher proportion of intramuscular fat, lower water discharge, etc.) are the result of its genetic basis, the free movement and grazing of the Black Slavonic pig (Fajferica) on the pastures, the use of specific feed in its diet (green alfalfa, cereal grains), and the longer fattening period as a result of its lower average daily weight gain.
The way in which the animals are kept (in the open air) gives the meat its darker colour, as they move around more and have greater muscle blood flow. A direct consequence of keeping the pigs in the open air is that it strengthens their muscle fibre and reduces the ability to release meat juice.
The higher proportion of intramuscular fat resulting from the genetic basis, the fact that the pigs are kept in the open, and their feed, account for the greater succulence and softness of ‘Meso crne slavonske svinje’.
Pork is traditionally consumed in continental Croatia to mark holidays, religious feasts and family celebrations, and forms the centrepiece of the dinner table. The pig also has a symbolic meaning: the local inhabitants have taken the pig’s habit of digging its snout into the earth and pushing it forward as a symbol of good luck and progress towards prosperity. That is why roast pork is a traditional and indispensable dish for bidding farewell to the old and welcoming in the new year.

Reference to publication of the specification

https://poljoprivreda.gov.hr/UserDocsImages/dokumenti/hrana/proizvodi_u_postupku_zastite-zoi-zozp-zts/Specifikacija_Meso_crne_slavonske_svinje_Ispravak.pdf


(1)  OJ L 343, 14.12.2012, p. 1.