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 317/13
Date: 2023-09-07
Institutions: Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, European Commission
Subjects: Türkiye, aromatic plant, condiment, consumer information, designation of origin, labelling, product designation, quality control of agricultural products




C_2023317EN.01002001.xml










7.9.2023   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 317/20







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 317/13)

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

’Safranbolu Safranı'


EC No: PDO-TR-02860- 10.8.2022
                  


PGI ( ) PDO (X)

1.   Name(s) [of PDO or PGI]

’Safranbolu Safranı'
2.   Member State or Third Country

Republic of Turkey
3.   Description of agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1.   Type of product [listed in Annex XI]

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

’Safranbolu Safranı' is a bulbous culture plant of the Crocus sativus L. Karaarslan saffron species, from the Iridaceae family, with a single aboveground part and a perennial underground part, blooming in autumn. 'Safranbolu Safranı' is an aromatic plant located in Safranbolu region, which is minimum 2 cm when it is fresh and minimum 1 cm in length when it is dried, has strong iodoform odour and aroma and vivid crimson color in particles which is above the first-class saffron standards in terms of color intensity. Saffron is not crushed or powdered just dried in its original shape preserving its crimson color.
The flowers of the plant are hexapetalous and purple in color. There are three stamens on the flower. The stigma which is red and roundy top of the female part (ovary) of the flower, has the main economic value. Although the market value of the yellow male parts (stamens) is low, they are still a source of a side income for the producers. Because of the fact that stamens are abundant source of pollens, it is possible to consider saffron as a pollen plant. There is only one ovary, consisting of style, ovule and stigma. In a matured plant the stigma is divided into three parts, also called filaments, with a threadlike appearance and 2,5-3 cm in length. The stigma is in vivid crimson color. It is the three-part stigma of the ovary, which is used as saffron. The stigma of the ovary is used to get saffron, and active components are compounds such as essential oil, carotenes and picrocrocin. Among these compounds, carotenes (especially crosin) give saffron its coloring property, and picrocrocin and safranal give bitterness and aroma. The most important ingredient that increases the commercial value of saffron is a natural compound called crocin that gives a golden yellow/reddish color that is close to orange.
’Safranbolu Safranı' is of higher quality than other saffron produced in the world in terms of aroma, color and coloring property, and it has a coloring property of coloring water weighing 100 000 times its own weight to yellow.
Chemical properties of ‘Safranbolu Safranı’ in the dry matter of the filaments:






 


Maximum










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Moisture and volatile matter content






(%) 9,6 










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Ash






(%) 4,9 










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Ash insoluble in acid






(%) 0,1 










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The amount of dry matter dissolved in cold water






(%) 62,0 










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Total nitrogen






(%) 2,77 










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Raw cellulose






(%) 4,0 










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Bitterness, picrocrocin






(%) 83,0 










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Safranal






(%) 29,0 










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Color intensity crocin






(%) 231,0 




As the distinguishing features of 'Safranbolu Safranı'; picrocrocin (bitterness) (in dry matter) should be minimum 70 %, safranal (in dry matter) between 20 % and 50 %, crocin (color intensity) (in dry matter) should be minimum 190 %.
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 identified geographical area

All operations of corm planting, fertilizing, harvesting, drying must be in the geographical area specified in Article 4.
3.5.   Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc. of the product the registered name refers to

Products from 1 g to 5 kg can be filled in food-grade packages.
3.6.   Specific rules concerning labelling of the product the registered name refers to

Apart from the mandatory information that must be given regarding the presentation and labeling of foodstuffs, the following information should be included on the label.






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Commercial title and address, short name and address or registered trademark of the company










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Lot number










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Product name- 'Safranbolu Safranı'










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following logo















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Official hologram of authenticity




4.   A concise definition of the geographical area

’Safranbolu Safranı' is produced, cultivated, fertilized, harvested and dried within the borders of Safranbolu town of Karabuk city.






(a)


in the neighborhoods of Safranbolu; 15 Temmuz, Akçasu, Aşağı Tokatlı, Atatürk, Babasultan, Bağlarbaşı, Barış, Camikebir, Cemalcaymaz, Çavuş, Çeşme, Emek, Esentepe, Hacıhalil, Hüseyinçelebi, İsmetpaşa, İzzetpaşa, Karaali, Kirkille, Musalla and Yenimahalle
All villages in these towns are included in the production area.










(b)


in the villages of Safranbolu: Agaçkese, Akkışla, Akören, Alören, Aşağıçiftlik, Aşağıdana, Bağzığaz, Bostanbükü, Cabbar, Cücahlı, Çatak, Çavuşlar, Çerçen, Çıraklar, Danişment, Davutobası, Değirmencik, Dere, Düzce, Gayza, Geren, Gökpınar, Gündoğan, Hacıhasan, Hacılarobası, Harmancık, İnceçay, Kadıbükü, Karacatepe, Karapınar, Karıt, Kehler, Kırıklar, Konarı, Kuzyakahacılar, Kuzyakaköseler, Kuzyakaöte, Nacsaklar, Nebioğlu, Oğulören, Ovacuma, Ovaköseler, Örencik, Pelitören, Sakaralan, Sarıahmetli, Sat, Sırçalı, Sine, Tayyip, Tintin, Tokatlı, Toprakcuma, Üçbölük, Yazıköy, Yolbaşı, Yörük, Yukarıçiftlik and Yukarıdana.
Safranbolu town is located at 41° 16' north latitude and 32° 41' east longitude.




5.   Link with the geographical area


Natural factors

Climatic characteristics and growing conditions are the most important factors affecting 'Safranbolu Safranı'. These factors affect the picrocrocin (bitterness) amount, safranal (organic compound), crocin (color intensity) ratios of saffron in addition to size and number of the corms and flowers. Due to climatic characteristics in Safranbolu in terms of temperature and precipitation, the corms are larger and the flowers are longer than the brother corms planted in neighborhood cities or other cities in Turkey that are smaller, have less cormlets and a later flowering period. Moreover, the concentration of the essential oil components (safranal, picrocrocin, and crocin) and odor of saffron is less than that of the saffron obtained in Safranbolu.

Climate

The cultivation of saffron in Safranbolu is closely related to the climatic characteristics of the region. As it is a gateway between the Black Sea climate and the Central Anatolian climate microclimate climatic conditions are observed in Safranbolu due to its geographical location. The annual average temperature in Safranbolu is 12,3 °C. According to meteorological data, the temperatures in April are very close to the annual average and the temperatures until November are above the annual average values.
Safranbolu has a semi-dry climate with little humidity properties. When these properties are considered, it is observed that the area has the properties that are necessary for the Saffron, which is sensitive to excessive cold in winter, and which requires cool weather in winter and drought in summer.
There is a parallelism between the temperature values of Safranbolu and the temperature demand of the saffron plant. This parallelism is also reflected in the precipitation characteristics. As a matter of fact, in accordance with the plant's desire for humid and cool weather during the flowering period, precipitation values are at optimum levels in the region. The temperature of the climate in the region increases flowering and yield as well as volatile and bioactive compounds.
70 % of the essential oil components of saffron is safranal (organic compound) and it affects the odour of saffron. It is formed by the hydrolysis of picrocrocin (bitterness) with the effect of temperature during storage after the harvest of saffron.

Humidity

The annual average relative humidity in Safranbolu is 61 %. Relative humidity throughout the year is high in winter and low in summer. 'Safranbolu Safranı' requires 50-60 % moisture during its growing period, and humidity exceeding this value damages the flower of saffron. The relative humidity in Safranbolu during the growing period of saffron has the appropriate humidity to grow saffron. Appropriate humidity makes it resistant to diseases and pests.

Soil

The pH value of the soil in saffron cultivation should be around 6,0-8,0 which is in agreement with the soil pH in the Safranbolu region reported as between 5,5 and 8,5, providing the appropriate pH range for saffron cultivation. It provides an increase in yield to the effect of flowering by carrying suitable soil properties.

Human factors

The human factor is important as the planting, hoeing and especially the harvest of ‘Safranbolu Safranı’ must be done manually and with care. After the first planting, corms continue to reproduce under the ground in the second and third years, and after the harvest at the end of the third year, the corms under the ground are removed by hand in order to increase the yield of the product due to the narrowing of the row spacing of the plants. Since saffron seeds are sterile, they do not play a role in the reproduction of this plant. To reproduce the saffron flower, its bulbous root, which remains under the ground, is used. A corm only survives one season and eventually produces new plants called ‘cormlet (baby corm)’. At the end of the third year, the corms removed by hand are planted again. Therefore, reproduction of ‘Safranbolu Safranı’ depends on the human factor.
Hoeing in the field where saffron will be grown should be done manually and carefully in order to ensure weed control and the development of corms, and also not to damage the corms.
In order to obtain high quality Saffron, it must be harvested with quick and expert employees within the short time period before the Sun rises. Saffron starts to lose its quality after the Sun rises with the radiation coming from the Sun. The duration between the ripening and harvest of Saffron is nearly two days. In addition, after it is harvested, the collection of the stigmas and the preservation conditions have significant importance on the quality of Saffron.
Collecting Saffron one by one with hands and separating the white areas in their roots requires a specific expertise, because the aroma, bitterness and staining quality of Saffron, which give it the value, are important. Performing these stages without care causes that Saffron to lose its all commercial value, which means serious losses in its values.

Harvest

Harvesting the saffron flower is done by hand in the early morning when the flowers are in bud form. The reason why it is collected in the form of buds in the early hours is the protection of the essential oils, those are part of the active components of the saffron plant, which are present in the stigma of the ovary, that and affect the amount of safranal.

                  ‘Safranbolu Safranı’ flowers are picked by hand early in the morning when volatile compounds of the flowers are high. After that, the bunch with its trifid filaments (female part) with style and konj is carefully removed from the flower by hand before the flowers are dried out and close the petals. It is the most important process of the saffron production that the bunch is pulled out from stem in one piece by hand. Experienced people who are removing the bunch are specialized on how they will pull out without breaking up the filaments and how much force they will apply to remove it in one piece. Style and konj of the stigma exhibit a distinct color changed from saffron crimson color to yellow, and it is the second important step to cut the stem of the delicate bunch exactly where its crimson color changed to yellow obtaining pushal part of the stigma. All the aroma and bioactive compounds in addition to color of the ‘Safranbolu Safranı’ is concentrated in pushal part thus, this part is taken for drying for further use.
The pushal part with protecting its original shape is dried in a closed environment with natural light, at room temperature (20-22 °C) on a clean cheesecloth for 1 to 2 weeks. No chemicals or current air as well as direct sunlight is used during drying period. Fully dried pushal part is kept in airtight glass containers or wooden boxes in semi-shade areas preventing it from humidity and direct sunlight causing discoloration, undesirable changes in taste, and odour and aroma lost.
Saffron is not crushed or powdered just dried in its original shape preserving its crimson color. This dried product is used as saffron.

Reference to publication of the specification

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(1)  
            OJ L 343, 14.12.2012, p. 1.