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
Date: 2024-03-05
Institutions: Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, European Commission
Subjects: Belgium, Province of Luxembourg, consumer information, designation of origin, dried product, labelling, meat product, product designation, quality control of agricultural products, smoked product








C_202401946EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
Series C













C/2024/1946


5.3.2024






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
(C/2024/1946)

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


                     ‘Saucisson gaumais’
                  


EU No: PGI-BE-02653 — 5.1.2021
                  


PDO ( ) PGI (x)

1.   Name(s)


               ‘Saucisson gaumais’
            
2.   Member State or Third Country

Belgium
3.   Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1.   Type of product

Class 1.2. Meat products (cooked, salted, smoked, etc.)
3.2.   Description of product to which the name in (1) applies


                  ‘Saucisson gaumais’ is lightly smoked and dried. It is obtained by fermenting pork. It comes in four different shapes:






—



                        ‘Pipe’: straight, elongated shape, maximum diameter of 30 mm and weight of between 60 g and 140 g;










—



                        ‘Collier’ (collar): an (almost) closed circular arc, diameter of from 30 mm to 50 mm and weight of between 200 g and 600 g;










—



                        ‘Saucisson’: straight, elongated shape, diameter of from 40 mm to 120 mm and weight of between 250 g and 2 500 g;










—



                        ‘Baudruche’ (balloon): elongated, curved or straight shape, diameter of from 80 mm to 130 mm and weight of between 2,5 kg and 10 kg.




The compulsory ingredients for the preparation of the mixture are lean meat and pork fat, salt and pepper. The fat is added up to a maximum of 25 % by weight of the 100 % lean meat, with the exception of the ‘pipe’, which has a maximum fat content of 30 %.
Spices and aromas may also be incorporated into the mixture: garlic, shallot, mustard seeds, bay leaves, mace, nutmeg, onion and thyme.
The following ingredients are also authorised: dextrose, fructose, glucose, lactose, a dairy binding agent and sucrose.
The following additives are authorised: ascorbic acid, sodium ascorbate, potassium chloride, food grade lacquer, maltodextrin, nitrates and nitrite salt.
Water and ferments are used as processing aids.
Except for the lean meat, fat and casings, other edible parts of the pig are not allowed, nor is mechanically separated meat.
The casings authorised during stuffing are:






—


natural pork or beef casing (possibly sewn or glued);










—


collagen casing (only for pre-slicing);










—


cellulose casing (only for pre-slicing).




The colouring of casings is prohibited.
The physico-chemical characteristics of the finished product placed on the market are as follows:






—


pH < 5,0 or 5,0 ≤ pH ≤ 5,2 combined with water activity ≤ 0,95;










—


moisture content on a fat-free basis: 57-67 %;










—


fat content ≤ 50 % (55 % for the ‘Pipe’) relative to dry matter;










—


protein content ≥ 40 % (38 % for the ‘Pipe’) relative to dry matter;










—


water/protein ratio ≤ 2,5;










—


collagen/protein ratio ≤ 0,1;










—


salt content ≤ 4 % relative to fresh matter.




The product has the following organoleptic characteristics:






—


the external appearance is granular. The skin is fine and dark red in colour. The casing is clean and adheres to the mixture over its entire surface. The ends are flat;










—


the appearance of the slice is characterised by distinct (lean and fatty) grains, evenly distributed. When cut, the lean meat is dark pink to pure red in colour and the fat is white. There are no visible signs of rolling. The mixture is well packed;










—


the size of the grains is medium to coarse;










—


the texture is tender and firm to the touch. In the mouth, the texture is granular but supple and homogeneous, giving the impression of a well-bound mixture. The texture is smooth but does not produce a fatty taste in the mouth;










—


the smoked smell and aromas are bold and persistent. A slight smell of fresh meat is also perceptible, as is a slightly acidic taste. The authorised spices and aromatics chosen by producers add a light smell and their own spicy aromas. If garlic is added to the mixture, neither its smell nor its aromas predominate.




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

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

The manufacturing steps are as follows:






—


pre-salting of the meat (optional);










—


preparation of the mixture;










—


stuffing;










—


draining;










—


heat treatment (and start of drying);










—


smoking and drying (drying may take place before, during or after the smoking or in alternation with smoking);










—


finishing.




3.5.   Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc. of the product to which the registered name refers

Packaging and pre-slicing are carried out within the territory of the European Union. This restriction is justified on the grounds of traceability control.
3.6.   Specific rules concerning the labelling of the product to which the registered name refers

When the product is placed on the market without packaging, the registered name, the PGI and the European logo must appear on the price sign displayed in proximity to the products. The optional reference to the shape of the ‘Saucisson gaumais’ (‘pipe’, ‘collier’ or ‘baudruche’) may also be added if the product meets the criteria for the shape in question. The information must be visible and legible to the consumer and presented in an unambiguous manner.
4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

The geographical area of production is Gaume, comprising the following municipal entities:






—


Chiny, excluding the municipal district of Suxy;










—


Étalle;










—


Florenville;










—


Habay;










—


Meix-devant-Virton;










—


Musson;










—


Rouvroy;










—


Saint-Léger;










—


Tintigny;










—


Virton;










—


Aubange: only the municipal districts of Halanzy and Rachecourt.




5.   Link with the geographical area

The causal link is based on the specific product characteristics resulting from the techniques used to produce ‘Saucisson gaumais’ (know-how), as developed in the geographical area, and on its reputation.
Specificity of the geographical area
Gaume is the geographical area in which ‘Saucisson gaumais’ is produced. It is a historical and geographical name referring to part of Belgian Lorraine, a region located in the South of Belgium.
The landscape of Gaume alternates between forest, composed mainly of beech and oak, meadows and plateaux, and is a region of uneven terrain marked by cuestas. It is an area of transition between the temperate maritime climate of northern Belgium and the continental, transitional climate found further south in the centre of the country. The climate of Gaume differs from that of the Belgian Ardennes since it has a broader temperature range, more hours of sunshine, less rainfall and gentler winds. Despite the reputation of Gaume as a region with a more pleasant climate than the Ardennes, the winter is still wet and cold.
These soil and climate conditions have allowed Gaume to embrace agriculture and domestic pig-farming, particularly from the 19th century until the mid 20th century. Thanks to the development of agriculture, Gaume farmers were able to use some of the starch resources at their disposal (cereals and potatoes) to fatten their pigs. Households also entrusted their pig(s) to the municipal swineherd, who was responsible for taking the pigs into the oak forests to feed off acorns. The pigs were slaughtered in the villages until the 1960s, between All Saints’ Day and the month of January.
The specific stages of know-how developed for the production of ‘Saucisson gaumais’ are mincing, smoking and the combination of heat treatment, smoking and drying. The lean meat and pork fat are ground into medium to coarse mince. This is done using grinder plates with a perforation diameter of between 4 mm and 13 mm for the ‘pipe’ and between 5 mm and 13 mm for the ‘collier’, ‘saucisson’ and ‘baudruche’. Heat treatment is at temperatures of between 20 °C and 28 °C. Smoking is mandatory. It is light and done using oak and beech sawdust. Drying occurs in part during the heat treatment. It takes place before, during and after smoking, and even in alternation with smoking. The cumulative duration of the heat treatment, smoking and drying stages is very short, and depends on the size of the ‘Saucisson gaumais’. It must be at least 4 days for the ‘pipe’, 5 days for the ‘collier’ and the ‘saucisson’, and 8 days for the ‘baudruche’. By comparison, this is a shorter duration than for Saucisson d’Ardenne PGI (minimum 4 to 15 days depending on the shape) or for Fuseau Lorrain (3 to 6 weeks). Producers in Gaume mastered the skills required for these stages through the know-how developed in the Ardennes, in particular for smoking, and also during apprenticeships undertaken in France, especially in Sedan (30 km from Gaume) and in Paris, at the start of the 20th century. Today, know-how is transferred in the traditional butcher’s shops and meat-curing businesses of Gaume and also on the butchery course at the Institut des Techniques et des Commerces agroalimentaires de Namur [Namur Institute for Agri-food Techniques and Businesses].
Specificity of the product

               ‘Saucisson gaumais’ is made exclusively of lean meat and pork fat.
The outer appearance is granular and leaves the grains of meat visible. By comparison, it is smoother than the PGI Saucisson d’Ardenne and the ‘Fuseau lorrain’.
The texture is granular and smooth.
The grind size is medium to coarse.

               ‘Saucisson gaumais’ is slightly dried. It is not as dry as Saucisson d’Ardenne PGI or Fuseau lorrain.
It is also lightly smoked. The smoked smell is dominant and the smoked aromas are more or less pronounced and persistent. Smoking is achieved by burning oak or beech. The intensity of the smoking in Gaume differs from that of the nearby areas. In the French Ardennes, smoking is almost non-existent. In French Lorraine, Fuseau lorrain and Saucisson lorrain can be smoked lightly using beech or softwood. In the Belgian Ardennes, smoking is more intense and characterised by the use of juniper berries, broom or heather.
The taste is slightly acidic. The perceptible acidity is stronger for ‘Saucisson gaumais’ than for Saucisson d’Ardenne PGI.
As regards aromas and spices, ‘Saucisson gaumais’ differs from Saucisson d’Ardenne PGI (perfumed with juniper berries) and from Fuseau lorrain (meat marinated in alcohol and a wider variety of aromas and spices).
Causal link
The soil and climate conditions of Gaume encouraged the rearing of pigs in this region over the 19th century and during the first half of the 20th century. This gave the local population a source of meat in addition to beef and poultry. Late autumn and winter were the preferred periods for slaughtering pigs. The inhabitants of Gaume therefore had a large quantity of meat to process over those periods. As a result, through the production of ‘Saucisson gaumais’, they developed know-how enabling them to make good use of the less prized cuts of meat; the hams used to produce Jambon d’Ardenne PGI and other cuts used to produce Pâté gaumais PGI. Although domestic pig-rearing is no longer practised, the know-how associated with the production of ‘Saucisson gaumais’ has nevertheless survived.
The slaughter period coincided with the period during which people in Gaume heated their houses. The main fuels used in the fireplace were the oak and beech trees growing in the forests of Gaume. The fireplace was used to smoke the cured meat, placed in the hearth after production. This know-how has survived in Gaume and, today, ‘Saucisson gaumais’ is smoked using only these two types of wood. Smoking skills were acquired from the Belgian Ardennes, where Saucisson d’Ardenne PGI is produced. On the other hand, the people of Gaume have developed a less intense smoking method which is more in line with the French taste for sausage which is very lightly smoked, or not smoked at all. ‘Saucisson gaumais’ is therefore less smoked than its Ardennes equivalent, but more smoked than French sausages.
Lean meat and pork fat are minced so as to obtain medium to coarse grains. This gives ‘Saucisson gaumais’ a granular external appearance and adds to the texture, which is creamy and granular in the mouth, giving the impression of a well-bound mixture.
The combination of the heat treatment, smoking and drying stages has also had an impact on the taste, texture and preservation of ‘Saucisson gaumais’. The heat treatment, carried out at high temperatures over a short period of time, allows the lactic ferments to form quickly in ‘Saucisson gaumais’. This stage is essential in order to give the product a slightly acidic taste. This acidity is reflected by a pH of 5.2 or less when the finished product is placed on the market. Due to the short duration of the heat treatment, smoking and drying stages, the finished product has a relatively high moisture content (of between 57 % and 67 %). As a result, ‘Saucisson gaumais’ is slightly dry and has a creamy texture similar to that of a fresh sausage. However, the acidity of the product and the smoking ensure optimum preservation for several months.
Since the start of the 20th century, ‘Saucisson gaumais’ has become well known and is now a selling point attracting visitors to Gaume. It is referred to as ‘Saucisson de Virton’ [1911, 1938], ‘Saucissons du Pays’ [1913, 1914], ‘Saucisse Gaumette’ [1928] or ‘Saucisson de la Gaume’ [1971].
The precise name ‘Saucisson gaumais’ has been mentioned in publications at least since 1980, namely in the Inventaire des produits régionaux (Inventory of Regional Products) compiled in 1981 by the Tourist Federation of the Belgian Province of Luxembourg and Promag, the certifying body. This name became more common in the 1990s. Nowadays, it has a strong reputation.
Tourist guides consider this product to be part of the gastronomic heritage of Gaume (La Transgaumaise [1933], Ardennen. Reisgids met 30 dagtochte [2006], Maak zelf Ardense specialiteiten [2011], La Route Régionale des Saveurs … [2014], and Le Routard. Ardenne. France-Belgium-Luxembourg [2019]). It has also been mentioned in the Inventaire des Trésors gourmands de Wallonie [1999] by Ch. Van Gelderen and the Dictionnaires de belgicismes [2010] by M. Francard, G. Geron, R. Wilmet and A. Wirth. Several caterers or restaurants offer ‘Saucisson gaumais’ on their menu or in their buffets, such as the restaurant ‘Le café des Arts’ (Namur, Belgium) and the ‘Traiteur Vandendaele’ (Namur). A number of works (100 recettes chics & pas chères [around 2010] and Les produits du terroir sur leur 31 [around 2016] by G. Watelet, Les meilleures recettes du terroir gaumais [2017] by the Tourist Office of Virton) and culinary blogs (‘
               Test 4 you
               ’, ‘
               Celle qui cuisinait ou le plaisir de cuisiner
               ’, ‘
               La cuisine de Laurence
               ’, ‘
               Mélina & Chocolat
               ’) show that this product has been included in many recipes and become part of the cuisine. Its qualities were recognised in the competition ‘Eurobeef’, organised by the Fédération nationale des bouchers, charcutiers et traiteurs de Belgique (National Federation of Butchers and Caterers of Belgium) in 2013, at which a number of producers received awards.
Furthermore, since 2004, the Confrérie de la Rulles (Guild of Rulles) has included the defence and promotion of ‘Saucisson gaumais’ as one of its aims.

               ‘Saucisson gaumais’ is produced in around 15 butcher’s shops and meat-curing businesses. It is exported to the Netherlands and Luxembourg.

Reference to publication of the product specification

https://agriculture.wallonie.be/aop-igp-stg


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


ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2024/1946/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)