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 306/05
Date: 2023-08-30
Institutions: Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, European Commission
Subjects: Greece, Ionian Islands, consumer information, designation of origin, labelling, leguminous vegetable, product designation, quality control of agricultural products, seed








C_2023306EN.01002701.xml










30.8.2023   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 306/27






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 306/05)
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 3 months from the date of this publication.
SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘Φακή Εγκλουβής / Faki Eglouvis’


EU No: PDO-GR-02646 - 11.11.2020


PDO ( X ) PGI ( )

1.   Name(s)

‘Φακή Εγκλουβής / Faki Eglouvis’
2.   Member State or Third Country

Greece
3.   Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1.   Type of product

Class 1.6. Fruit, vegetables and cereals, fresh or processed
3.2.   Description of product to which the name in (1) applies

‘Φακή Εγκλουβής / Faki Eglouvis’ refers to the seeds of plants of the local (unimproved) lentil population (a local landrace) (Lens culinaris – Fabaceae) which is grown on the Englouvi plateau on the Ionian island of Lefkada. With regard to their physical characteristics, ‘Φακή Εγκλουβής’ lentils are small-seeded and vary in diameter from 2,8 to 6,0 mm. Their appearance is smooth, and they are not as flat as other varieties, as in general, lentils tend to vary between 2 and 9 mm in diameter. The weight of 1 000 lentils varies between 26 and 30 grams.
The pericarp is variegated in colour with pale green, pale yellow and light and dark brown predominating. A large proportion of the lentils (around 30 %) have black or dark stippling or patches on them, which is another characteristic of ‘Φακή Εγκλουβής’, as is the presence of a small proportion (around 4 %) of black lentils.
As regards their chemical composition, ‘Φακή Εγκλουβής’ lentils are richer in nutrient contents such as iron — Fe (100-200 mg/kg), potassium — K (7 100-9 100 mg/kg), phosphorus — P (2 200-3 800 mg/kg) and fat (over 1,7 %), which is a source of fatty acids such as linoleic and oleic acids.
When cooked, the lentils develop specific organoleptic characteristics, for example:






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they soften quickly when boiled and break up, with the result that the cooked product thickens into a smooth, soup-like consistency.










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they become a glossy, thick soup with a particularly creamy appearance.




3.3.   Feed (for products of animal origin only) and raw materials (for processed products only)

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

All the stages in the production process from cultivation (preparing the soil, sowing, irrigation, fertiliser application, weeding, plant protection) to harvesting and sorting the product, as well as collecting seeds for the following year, must take place within the defined geographical area.
3.5.   Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc. of the product the registered name refers to

Packaging – Grading
After being temporarily stored on the producer’s premises, the lentils are transported to the packaging facility. They are packaged within the cultivation area, so as to guarantee 100 % product authenticity, for their quality and reputation is such that they command much higher prices than other lentils. For this reason, it is absolutely essential to guarantee their origin. That is the purpose of the traceability system. In the past there have been legal proceedings to stop the sale of other lentil varieties under the name ‘Φακή Εγκλουβής’. The product is sold in various packaging weights of up to 30 kg.
3.6.   Specific rules concerning labelling of the product the registered name refers to

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4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

The defined geographical area comprises the Municipal District (local community) of the village of Englouvi, located within the Municipal Unit of Karya in the Municipality of Lefkada, in the Regional Unit of Lefkada, in the Ionian Islands Region.
5.   Link with the geographical area

The product’s link with the geographical area is founded on its quality, as reflected in the minerals that give it high nutritional value, its organoleptic characteristics, good boilability, which means the lentils break down into a creamy soup-like consistency, and also the genetic characteristics of the local unimproved lentil population that is grown in the area of Englouvi (lentil size and colour, fast growth cycle).

Specificity of the geographical area

‘Φακή Εγκλουβής’ is named after the Englouvi plateau where the product is grown, which is also called Vouni. The plateau is enclosed by the slopes of Mount Elati and consists of a plain covering an overall area of approximately 300 ha, of which approximately 100 ha are cultivated, using crop rotation and letting land lie fallow. The altitude ranges from 750 m to 950 m and the lentils are grown on various areas of the plateau.
The characteristics common to the areas where the ‘Φακή Εγκλουβής’ lentils are grown are the plateau’s microclimate and soil.
a.   Climate
Given the local weather conditions, ‘Φακή Εγκλουβής’ are grown from January (sowing) to June (harvest). The rains and winds that prevail from April until the end of May play a decisive role in the quality and quantity of the lentil crop. This period of rain and west-north-westerly winds that blow from the Ionian sea favours successful pollination and by extension production.
In the predominantly dry farming of the lentils on the Englouvi plateau, the rainfall, relative humidity, morning dew and abovementioned favourable winds are all elements that have for centuries facilitated the cultivation of ‘Φακή Εγκλουβής’ and contributed most to their quality.
b.   Soil
The soil in the area around the village of Englouvi is heterogeneous, shallow in most areas, of average granulometry, made up of sand and clay and rich in carbon bearing material. As a result, it is well drained.
The low levels of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) in the top soil down to a depth of 30 cm are due to its intense leaching out of those strata. The above clearly help to create favourable conditions for lentil growing.
The extensive soil analyses carried out in different areas of the Englouvi plateau show that:
As regards mechanical composition, there are high percentages (above 60 %) of sand and loam and the soil can be described as sandy clayey loam.
The soil is high in organic matter everywhere and this increases its porosity, which in turn enhances its water retention capacity and creates good aeration conditions. These factors act as catalysts, promoting plant development in the difficult and water-scarce conditions of the Englouvi plateau.
Nitrogen (Ν) and magnesium (Mg) levels are sufficient or overabundant in 100 % of the soils.
Phosphorus (Ρ) and potassium (Κ) levels are sufficient or overabundant in 90 % of the soils, which helps the plants to produce strong shoots and promotes flowering and a good crop.
Iron (Fe) levels are also sufficient or overabundant in 75 % of the plateau’s soils.
Calcium carbonate (CaCO3) verges on zero or else is at an absolute minimum in approximately 80 % of the soils.
c.   Human factors
Selecting the seed for the following year’s crop is done by choosing the lentils that are in the best condition, healthy and have the characteristics described in point 3.2.
The producers’ expertise in selecting and using seed from their own plants is of crucial importance for the above.
In general: the sowing is done by hand, manure is used as fertiliser, plant diseases and pests are combated using the ecosystem itself or plant protection preparations where necessary, the crop is dry farmed and some of the fields are very occasionally irrigated where there is accessibility, weeds are removed by weeding or very occasionally, with suitable plant protection preparations, harvesting is done mostly by hand but also by mechanical means, when the producers judge on the basis of their experience that the time is right, final sieving is done with two sizes of sieve and any foreign matter is subsequently removed by hand. All of the above highlights the importance of the human factor in selecting this local (unimproved) lentil population, which has been grown in the region of Englouvi since at least the 18th century, without any cross-breeding with other varieties/populations of lentils. It therefore constitutes a population that is the result of empirical selection by local farmers over many years in a restricted geographical location.

Specificity of the product

‘Φακή Εγκλουβής’ stands out on account of certain characteristics, which render it distinct from other lentil varieties. These characteristics can be described as follows:
Genetic characteristics: as the lentil is a self-pollinated plant and as the area where it is grown in Englouvi is cut off, it has not suffered any genetic erosion, with the result that the population has adapted to the region’s climatic conditions and by extension developed stability and drought and pest resistance, etc.
Lentil characteristics: ‘Φακή Εγκλουβής’ lentils have a smooth surface and are less flattened than other lentil varieties, which is a characteristic of this specific type of lentil. The lentils are particularly small. It should also be noted that many of the lentils have black or dark stippling or patches on them, which is another characteristic of this type of lentil, as is the presence of a small proportion of black lentils. When cooked, ‘Φακή Εγκλουβής’, given that they are small lentils, heat up faster than the medium- to large sized varieties, meaning that their nutritional value tends to be better preserved and not destroyed by cooking. The limited loss of nutritional value during boiling is due to the fact that the lentils are not exposed to high temperatures for very long.
Nutritional characteristics: as regards chemical composition, ‘Φακή Εγκλουβής’ lentils are rich in nutrients and have a high fat content, which gives them nutritional value. With regard to this latter point, it should be noted that the fat content of ‘Φακή Εγκλουβής’ (1,8 % on average) is clearly higher than that of other lentils on the Greek market (over 0,9 %) and higher than documented levels (U.S. Department of Agriculture - USDA 1,1 %).
Organoleptic characteristics: the use of descriptive terms by the tasting panel, such as creamy appearance and a thick, soup-like consistency, are further confirmation of the product’s value.

Causal link between the geographical area and the quality or characteristics of the product (for PDOs)

The combination of the very specific climatic and soil conditions, the local landrace lentil and human factors, all contribute to creating this product, which historical sources confirm has been grown on the Englouvi plateau since the 18th century.
Lentil size – genetic characteristics: the specific physical characteristics of the lentils (size, colour, shape) are those of the local population of ‘Φακή Εγκλουβής’. The stability of the local (unimproved) population of ‘Φακή Εγκλουβής’ is ensured by the fact that lentils are a self-pollinating crop and, above all, that the region where they are grown is geographically isolated and the terrain has specific characteristics. The result is that the genetic characteristics of the local lentil population, such as the fast growth cycle and small size, have remained unaltered over time. It should be noted that the genetic material of ‘Φακή Εγκλουβής’, the climatic factors, the wider rich natural environment and the long farming history of the Englouvi plateau, have led to it being approved and entered in the Genebank of the National Institute for Agricultural Research, because of the synergy between the forces of natural selection and the specific soil and climatic conditions that prevail in the area where the crop is grown. With these lentils, the natural environment comes together with self-sufficient farming practices, developed in the 18th century, to produce a crop consisting of unimproved genetic material that has adapted to the mountain plateau environment.
‘Φακή Εγκλουβής’ is to be found in the Larissa Institute of Industrial and Forage crops, and in the genetic archive of the International Centre for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas (ICARDA) in Lebanon, under code ILL 293.
Nutritional characteristics: the well-drained soil, the presence of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and iron throughout virtually the entire plateau contribute to the production of lentils with high levels of iron, potassium and phosphorus and with a high fat content that make them a healthy food with high nutritional value.
Organoleptic characteristics: the boilability of the lentils depends upon:






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the soil’s high phosphorus content, which, according to scientific research, increases the levels of phytic acid that in turn binds Ca++ and Mg++ ions, preventing their dissolution into the pectin. This facilitates the breakdown of the cell walls during cooking;










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the size of the lentils, which remains limited to a certain level (small-seeded);










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the lentils being sown in the right season, being stored in premises where humidity and temperatures are low, and being sent immediately for grading, packaging and consumption.




The above factors help to improve the boilability of ‘Φακή Εγκλουβής’.
The human factor has had a significant influence on the local (unimproved) population of ‘Φακή Εγκλουβής’, with long-standing expertise built up over time, as described below:






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The rigorous selection of healthy seeds that meet the product specification ensures the purity of the local unimproved population.










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‘Φακή Εγκλουβής’ / Faki Eglouvis’ is the only lentil variety in Greece that is sown from winter to spring. Over the centuries, the human factor has thus served to protect the product’s specificity.










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Depending on when the lentils are sown, harvesting takes place at the appropriate time, when they are ripe. The colour of the pods and the ‘rounding’ of the lentils in the pods are essential indicators of ripening.










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As regards drying, it is directly linked to harvesting at the right time. The ripening of the pods is the main criterion for harvesting, so the moisture content is generally low. The fact that the lentils are exposed for some hours to the warm, dry environment during harvesting helps this low moisture content to decrease still further.










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Sorting is done either using the traditional method (threshing - winnowing) or mechanically (in the vast majority of cases); the purpose is to remove foreign matter from the lentils. The human factor plays a significant role here also through double sieving and thorough examination and discarding by hand.




Accounting entries and deeds/wills attest to the fact that lentils have been grown since the 18th century and there are references to domed stone structures (voltoi) for lentil storage.
‘Φακή Εγκλουβής’ lentils have been mentioned by historians, folklorists and journalists, etc. since the period of Venetian rule in Greece.
Cooking lentils on 6 August is a local tradition that has been celebrated in the village of Englouvi, with its characteristic dome-shaped stone buildings (voltoi), since the beginning of the 20th century.
The well-known gourmet, Ilias Mamalakis, showcased ‘Φακή Εγκλουβής’ in one of his television programmes, in which he declared: ‘In the Bible, Esau sold his birthright for a mess of pottage [i.e. a dish of lentils]. I would give all the delicacies of the world for a plate of lentils from Englouvi!

Reference to publication of the product specification

http://www.minagric.gr/images/stories/docs/agrotis/POP-PGE/2020/prod_faki_eglouvis201222.pdf


(1)  OJ L 343, 14.12.2012, p. 1.