Publication of an approved standard amendment to a product specification of a protected designation of origin or protected geographical indication in the sector of agricultural products and foodstuffs, as referred to in Article 6b(2) and (3) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 664/2014
Date: 2024-08-27
Institutions: Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, European Commission
Subjects: Italy, Lombardy, consumer information, designation of origin, labelling, pasta, product designation, quality control of agricultural products








C_202405271EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
C series













C/2024/5271


27.8.2024






Publication of an approved standard amendment to a product specification of a protected designation of origin or protected geographical indication in the sector of agricultural products and foodstuffs, as referred to in Article 6b(2) and (3) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 664/2014
(C/2024/5271)

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)



                     ‘Pizzoccheri della Valtellina’
                  


EU No: PGI-IT-01349-AM01 – 30.5.2024
                  


PDO ( ) PGI (X)

1.   Name of product


               ‘Pizzoccheri della Valtellina’
            
2.   Member State to which the geographical area belongs

Italy
3.   Member State authority communicating the standard amendment

Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry (MASAF), Promotion of Agri-Food Quality (PQA) I
—
4.   Description of the approved amendment(s)

Explanation of why the amendment(s) fall under the definition of a standard amendment as provided for in Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012
The amendment is a standard one within the meaning of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 as it does not include a change in the name or in the use of that name, does not risk voiding the link and does not entail further restrictions on the marketing of the product.
Labelling - this amendment concerns Article 8 of the product specification and point 3.6 of the single document
The last sentence in Article 8 of the product specification and point 3.6 of the single document,
which reads:

               ‘The lettering to be used for the denomination “Pizzoccheri della Valtellina” on packaging is ITC Galliard with characters 8-35 mm in height.’
            
has been deleted.
Reason:
This packaging requirement has, over time, turned out to be too strict, especially for producers who target foreign markets, for which the product’s image has to be adapted to marketing needs that take into account the specificities of the destination countries.
This amendment will also allow producers to better respond to requests from the various distribution channels by changing the denomination’s size and font.
This amendment affects the single document.
SINGLE DOCUMENT


                     ‘Pizzoccheri della Valtellina’
                  


EU No: PGI-IT-01349-AM01 – 30.5.2024
                  


PDO ( ) PGI (X)

1.   Name(s) [of PDO or PGI]


               ‘Pizzoccheri della Valtellina’
            
2.   Member State or Third Country

Italy
3.   Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1.   Combined Nomenclature code

19 PREPARATIONS OF CEREALS, FLOUR, STARCH OR MILK; PASTRYCOOKS’ PRODUCTS
1902 - Pasta, whether or not cooked or stuffed (with meat or other substances) or otherwise prepared, such as spaghetti, macaroni, noodles, lasagne, gnocchi, ravioli, cannelloni; couscous, whether or not prepared
3.2.   Description of the product to which the name in (1) applies


                  ‘Pizzoccheri della Valtellina’ is a pasta made from a mixture of at least 20 % buckwheat flour mixed with other flours.

                  ‘Pizzoccheri della Valtellina’ is a type of pasta that is produced and marketed as both dried and fresh pasta. It is distinguished by the following shapes: the ‘tagliatello steso’, i.e. thin flattened strips of variable length and width in a stretched form, the ‘tagliatello avvolto’, i.e. thin flattened strips of variable length and width which are then rolled up, or the ‘gnocchetto’, i.e. with its characteristic concave shape.

                  ‘Pizzoccheri della Valtellina’ pasta is marketed either dried or fresh in the following dimensions:








Dried


Length (mm)


Width (mm)


Thickness (mm)




Tagliatello steso


30 -60 


7 -8 


1,1 -1,7 




Gnocchetto


16 -22 


7 -11 


1,5 -2 




Tagliatello avvolto (known as ‘Tagliatella’)


—


3 -11 


1 -2,5 




Fresh


Length (mm)


Width (mm)


Thickness (mm)




Tagliatello


—


5 -11 


1,3 -5,5 




Chemico-physical characteristics
After it is made, fresh ‘Pizzoccheri della Valtellina’ has a semi-hard consistency; if dried, it is dry and hard.
The water content should not be less than 24 % of the dry extract for the fresh product and no more than 12,5 % of the dry extract for the dried product.
Organoleptic characteristics

                  ‘Pizzoccheri della Valtellina’ comes in varying shades of brown with light brown/grey specks typical of buckwheat.
After cooking in salted water, the pasta takes on a delicate flavour typical of products made from buckwheat and other flours.
3.3.   Feed (for products of animal origin only) and raw materials (for processed products only)

The ingredients used to produce ‘Pizzoccheri della Valtellina’ sold in dried form are as follows:






—


a mixture comprising a maximum of 80 % durum wheat semolina, on its own or mixed with durum wheat flour, and at least 20 % buckwheat flour,










—


water.




The product sold in fresh form is composed of:






—


a mixture comprising a maximum of 80 % common wheat flour, on its own or mixed with common wheat semolina, and at least 20 % buckwheat flour,










—


water.




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

All of the steps in the production of ‘Pizzoccheri della Valtellina’ must take place in the geographical area identified in point 4.
3.5.   Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc. of the product the registered name refers to

The fresh product can be sold in bulk at the place of production and/or at retail level, provided that the information referred to in point 3.6 below is visible to the consumer. The fresh product can be packaged in trays and bags, both in a protective atmosphere.
The dried product is packaged in cardboard boxes or in bags and may if necessary be placed in silos prior to packaging.
3.6.   Specific rules concerning labelling of the product the registered name refers to

In addition to the details required by food labelling legislation, the packaging of ‘Pizzoccheri della Valtellina’ must also carry the following information in clear and legible printed characters:






—


the denomination ‘Pizzoccheri della Valtellina’,










—


the acronym ‘IGP’ [PGI] or its full extension ‘Indicazione geografica protetta’ [protected geographical indication],










—


the EU symbol.




The packaging of ‘Pizzoccheri della Valtellina’ may also carry information concerning the shape of the pasta, as indicated in the table in point 3.2 (for the dried product ‘tagliatello steso’, ‘gnocchetto’ or ‘tagliatella’; for the fresh product ‘tagliatello’).
In describing the product, it is prohibited to add any further qualification to the name ‘Pizzoccheri della Valtellina’ which might mislead the consumer.
4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

The geographical area in which ‘Pizzoccheri della Valtellina’ is produced is the area contained within the administrative borders of the Province of Sondrio (Lombardy, Italy).
5.   Link with the geographical area

The application for PGI recognition for ‘Pizzoccheri della Valtellina’ is justified by the product’s reputation and renown.
The Zingarelli Italian Dictionary (1970 edition) gives the following definition for ‘Pizzocchero’: ‘Rustic tagliatelle-type noodle made from buckwheat flour, which is a speciality of the Valtellina region’.
The culture surrounding ‘Pizzoccheri della Valtellina’ derives from the historical presence and extensive use of buckwheat flour which, since it was widely grown and used within the province of Sondrio, was a basic ingredient of the local cuisine.
The first written document attesting to the existence of buckwheat flour in the Valtellina region dates from 1616, when the Governor of the Valle dell’Adda in the Swiss canton of Graubünden reported that: ‘Buckwheat was mainly grown on the Rhaetian slopes of the Alps, in particular in the district of Teglio, characterised by its milder climate owing to greater exposure to the sun’.
The production of buckwheat expanded up to 1800, spreading to other poor and non-productive areas. This was possible because of the quick ripening of buckwheat seeds, which could perfectly adapt to Alpine conditions. The commercial situation changed in favour of other crops after Valtellina was annexed by Lombardy-Veneto. Some buckwheat is still grown today in Sondrio Province over a total area of approximately 20 hectares. It is intended for family use or for direct sale to consumers.
Production of ‘Pizzoccheri della Valtellina’ has developed as a result of the cultivation of buckwheat in the valley in question, hence the product’s link with Sondrio Province. The first non-verbal testimony of the production of ‘Pizzoccheri della Valtellina’ in Sondrio Province can be found in documents containing the following references: ‘... una scarella per li Pizzoccheri e il rodelino per li ravioli’ (document from 1750) and ‘... le resene per li Pizzoccheri’ (1775). It can therefore be assumed that the production and consumption of ‘Pizzoccheri della Valtellina’ pre-dates the first half of the eighteenth century. In subsequent centuries, documentary evidence became more widespread, and the link between the product and the territory of Sondrio Province more apparent.
Emilio Montorfano’s book 
                  ‘Storia e Tradizioni nella Cucina Lariana’
                (Xenia, 1987) mentions the Valtellina and particularly the municipality of Teglio as the home of this pasta characterised by the use of buckwheat. The name ‘Pizzoccheri della Valtellina’ is also quoted in the preface by Ettore A. Albertoni, Lombardy Regional Minister for Cultural Affairs, Identity and Autonomy, to Ada Ferrari’s book entitled 
                  ‘Milano e la Rai un incontro mancato?’
               , subtitled 
                  ‘Luci e ombre di una capitale di transazione (1945-1977)’
                (Franco Angeli, 2002). In the context of a reflection on knowledge, research, promotion and valorisation of local regional realities, ‘Pizzoccheri della Valtellina’ is mentioned as an example of a typical product and as an expression of the area’s culture.
Historical texts and literature concerning the Valtellina region bear witness to how the production of ‘Pizzoccheri della Valtellina’ became closely connected with local historical events and with the traditions and cuisine of the geographical area in which it originated.
The locals regard the production of ‘Pizzoccheri della Valtellina’ as a traditional activity that is linked to their own history and culture; it is enough to consider that this specific type of pasta is served together with numerous ingredients which derive from crops and products that are characteristic of the Valtellina region (butter, cheese, vegetables such as Savoy cabbage, potatoes, etc.).
References in guidebooks and publications mention the ‘Pizzoccheri della Valtellina’ as typical noodles composed of buckwheat (Guida della Valtellina, published by the Valtellina Section of the Italian Alpine Club, 1873; Cucina di valle e di montagna, in Mondo popolare in Lombardia Sondrio e il suo territorio, Milano 1995).

               ‘Pizzoccheri della Valtellina’ falls within the category of pasta of the Province of Sondrio, and are on the list of the Lombardy Region’s traditional agri-food products (Official Gazette of the Lombardy Region, 21.4.2000, 5th extraordinary supplement to No 16).
Dried ‘Pizzoccheri della Valtellina’ can be found in numerous Italian supermarkets.

               ‘Pizzoccheri della Valtellina’ pasta is typical of Sondrio Province and has acquired not only an economic but also a cultural value to the extent of becoming a genuine point of reference for the locals that is linked to tradition and is celebrated in various fairs, the most famous of which is the ‘Pizzocchero d’Oro’ fair in Teglio.
Furthermore, ‘Pizzoccheri della Valtellina’ was exhibited at the 99th Bitto Fair, held from 12 to 15 October 2006, alongside the other typical agri-food products of the Valtellina, i.e. wine, cheese, apples and bresaola.

               ‘Pizzoccheri della Valtellina’ pasta is a product which has always been featured whenever various institutions, local authorities, and tourism and producer bodies seek to present and promote the image of the Valtellina region.

Reference to publication of the product specification


https://www.politicheagricole.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeAttachment.php/L/IT/D/1%252F4%252F4%252FD.5bd26f1a3a35e851ee94/P/BLOB%3AID%3D3348/E/pdf?mode=download



(1)  
            OJ L 179, 19.6.2014, p. 17.


ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2024/5271/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)