Publication of an approved standard amendment to the product specification of a protected designation of origin or protected geographical indication in the agricultural products and foodstuffs sector, as referred to in Article 6b(2) and (3) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 664/2014
Date: 2025-02-25
Institutions: Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, European Commission
Subjects: Andalusia, Spain, consumer information, designation of origin, labelling, olive oil, product designation, quality control of agricultural products




C_202501366EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
C series













C/2025/1366


25.2.2025






Publication of an approved standard amendment to the product specification of a protected designation of origin or protected geographical indication in the agricultural products and foodstuffs sector, as referred to in Article 6b(2) and (3) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 664/2014
(C/2025/1366)

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


                     ‘Montoro-Adamuz’
                  


EU No: PDO-ES-0658-AM01 – 4 December 2024
                  


PDO (X) PGI ( )

1.   Name of product


               ‘Montoro-Adamuz’
            
2.   Member State to which the geographical area belongs

Spain
3.   Member State authority communicating the standard amendment

Directorate-General for Agri-Food Industries, Innovation and the Food Supply Chain – Government of Andalusia
4.   Description of the approved amendment(s)


Explanation that 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 approved amendment falls under the definition of a standard amendment in that it does not involve a change in the name of the protected designation of origin or the use thereof, and does not risk voiding the link with the geographical area established in the product specification or entail further restrictions on the marketing of the product.
1.   Amendment to the limits on the fatty acid composition

This amendment affects Section B.2 ‘Physical and chemical characteristics’ in the product description in the product specification and Section 3.2 ‘Description of the product to which the name in (1) applies’ of the single document.
The limit on the oleic acid content has been reduced from > 78 % (in the previous specification) to > 74 %, and the rest of the fatty acids set out in the ‘Fatty Acids Composition’ table have been deleted, as the acidic composition is not representative of the product’s specific characteristics.
Reasons:
The fatty acid composition of the olive oil varies depending on factors intrinsic to the district such as the soil, the elevation and the olive variety, but it is also affected by the climate conditions in each production year, in particular by the hours of cold, which are being disrupted and altered by climate change.
Oleic acid in particular is a parameter which is closely linked to the olive trees’ access to water. This is reflected in numerous scientific studies that show that environmental situations involving water stress (rainfall shortage) and rising temperatures are causing oleic acid content to decrease, particularly during the periods of drought in recent production years.
Furthermore, harvesting has been brought forward so as to obtain a higher quality of olive oil. This, together with the increase in temperature during the months of September to December, also results in a decrease in oleic acid levels, which can be verified by analysing the historical register of data obtained in recent production years.
This amendment affects the single document.
2.   Replacement of the ‘total polyphenols’ parameter with ‘biophenols’
                           

This amendment affects Section B.2 ‘Physical and chemical characteristics’ in the product description and Section F ‘Link to the geographical area’, sub-section b) ‘Product characteristics essentially due to the geographical environment’ of the product specification, and Section 3.2 ‘Description of the product covered by the name referred to in point 1’ and Section 5.2 ‘Specific nature of the product’ of the single document.
The ‘total polyphenols’ parameter has been replaced with ‘biophenols’.
Previous text:
Total polyphenols (ppm) – minimum 700 ppm.
Method of analysis: Method of complete extraction of polyphenols and quantification by means of the colorimetric detection system using a series of electrodes.
Amended text:
Biophenols (ppm) – minimum 400 ppm.
Reasons:
The method of analysis laid down in the product specification for determining phenolic compounds (complete extraction of polyphenols and quantification by means of the colorimetric detection system using a series of electrodes) has become obsolete and is not performed by any laboratory, as it has not been recognised by any international body or legislated on by the EU.
The measurement of polyphenols has therefore been replaced by the method currently recognised by the International Olive Committee (IOC) for determining phenolic compounds, in accordance with document COI/T.20/Doc. No 29/Rev.2, June 2022.
The historical register of biophenol content in the last five production years for ‘Montoro-Adamuz’ PDO extra virgin olive oils shows levels above 400 ppm. This is equivalent to the total polyphenols being above 700 ppm as established by the former method of analysis.
The quantification method above, by means of a colorimetric detection system using a series of electrodes, involved a complete extraction of all phenols, whereas the measurement obtained by the method recognised by the IOC more efficiently quantifies more specific phenolic compounds.
In other words, the analytical method that reduces the number of quantified phenolic compounds for all the olive oil varieties analysed has been changed. The new, more reliable analytical method, which is recognised by the IOC, guarantees the specific characteristics that define ‘Montoro-Adamuz’ olive oil, which it owes to its high phenol content – sometimes double that of other oil made from other varieties.
This amendment affects the single document.
3.   Removal of legislative requirements

Section I) ‘Legislative requirements’ has been removed from the product specification. The amendment does not affect the single document.
Reasons:
Section I) ‘Legislative requirements’ has been removed to bring the content of the product specification into line with that laid down in Article 49 of Regulation (EU) 2024/1143 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 April 2024.
The amendment does not affect the single document.
SINGLE DOCUMENT


                     ‘Montoro-Adamuz’
                  


EU No: PDO-ES-0658-AM01 – 4 December 2024
                  


PDO (X) PGI ( )

1.   Name(s) (of PDO or PGI)


               ‘Montoro-Adamuz’
            
2.   Member State or Third Country

Spain
3.   Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1.   Combined Nomenclature code







—


15 – ANIMAL, VEGETABLE OR MICROBIAL FATS AND OILS AND THEIR CLEAVAGE PRODUCTS; PREPARED EDIBLE FATS; ANIMAL OR VEGETABLE WAXES




3.2.   Description of product to which the name in (1) applies

Extra virgin olive oil obtained from the fruit of the olive tree (Olea Europaea L.), of the following varieties: Nevadillo Negro, Picual, Lechín de Sevilla, Picudo and Carrasqueño de la Sierra. The native variety Nevadillo Negro, when more than 10 %, and the Picual variety are considered the main varieties, both representing more than 98 % in the blend of oils.
Extraction takes place exclusively by mechanical or physical processes that do not alter the oil, but preserve the flavour, fragrance and characteristics of the fruit from which it is obtained.
The oils have the following physico-chemical characteristics:






Acidity


Maximum 0,5 %




Humidity


Maximum 0,1 %




Peroxide value


Maximum 20 mEq. O2/kg




K270 (absorbance 270 nm)


Maximum 0,18




Biophenols (ppm)


Minimum 400 ppm




K225 (bitterness)


Minimum 0,3




Waxes


Maximum 150 mg/kg of fat




Stability


Minimum 80 hours at 100 oC




Oleic acid C18:1


> 74 %




From a sensory point of view, ‘Montoro-Adamuz’ extra virgin olive oil can be considered an oil of great aromatic complexity. It is defined by a median fruitiness over 4, its positive attributes being its notes of ‘fruity olive’, ‘green leaf’ and of ‘other ripe fruit’.






Organoleptic characteristics




Median fruitiness


Over 4




Median bitterness


2,0–6,5




Median spiciness


1,5–6,5




Median defect


Equal to 0




The specific characteristics that define ‘Montoro-Adamuz’ oil are due to its high phenolic compound content, exceeding 400 ppm, which is responsible for the oil’s characteristic bitterness and its great chemical stability against oxidation, a characteristic for which this oil has been appreciated since time immemorial.
3.3.   Feed (for products of animal origin only) and raw materials (for processed products only)

Not applicable
3.4.   Specific steps in production that must take place in the identified geographical area

The production of the olives and the processing of the product take place within the identified geographical area.
3.5.   Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc. of the product the registered name refers to

The oil is packaged in glass, metallic or ceramic food-grade containers. The Regulatory Board may authorise any other type of material for use in packaging provided it is inert and does not degrade the colour and visual appearance of the contents, or in order to comply with the trade and/or legal requirements of third countries.
3.6.   Specific rules concerning labelling of the product the registered name refers to

The words Denominación de Origen Protegida ‘Montoro-Adamuz’
                   must appear on both the label and the numbered label on the back. The labelling on the containers must include the logo of the ‘Montoro-Adamuz’ Protected Designation of Origin.





4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

The geographical area with the designation ‘Montoro-Adamuz’ corresponds to the agricultural area in the mountains of the province of Córdoba; to the south it borders the Guadalquivir basin, to the north the Valle de los Pedroches area, to the east the mountains of Andújar in the province of Jaén and to the west the mountains to the north of Seville.
The defined geographical area comprises the following municipalities of the province of Córdoba: Montoro, Adamuz, Espiel, Hornachuelos, Obejo, Villaharta, Villanueva del Rey and Villaviciosa de Córdoba.
5.   Link with the geographical area

5.1.   Specificity of the geographical area

The defined geographical area contains the only olive grove in Andalusia planted on soils of Palaeozoic origin; formed by granite, slate, quartzite and diorite, they are acid in nature with a pH of between 5 and 6,5 and shallow, while all other olive groves in southern Spain are planted on limestone soils that are alkaline in nature.
The area is in a morphological and structural unit of Palaeozoic origin, the Sierra Morena range, its southern border being the Guadalquivir basin, a tectonic fault which delimits the Baetic mountain ranges of the Iberian Peninsula.
Temperatures are characterised by an acute contrast between the warm summer and cold winter seasons with a maximum average of around 13 oC for January and around 35 oC for July, and a minimum average of 3 oC for January and 18 oC for July, which gives an annual temperature range of 19 oC, with light average precipitation of between 600 mm and 700 mm per year concentrated in the winter and spring. The area is a hillside district, of steep topography, with an average elevation of 425 m, a southerly aspect, and a high level of sunlight of between 2 800 and 3 000 hours per year.
These agrological conditions together with high annual rates of evapotranspiration, of between 800 mm and 900 mm, and the steep average gradients found throughout the district, close to 3 %, result in a high level of erosion and consequently shallow soil cover that increases even further the shortage of water faced by the olive trees in summer and autumn.
The specificities of the geographic area are responsible for the development of the native variety Nevadillo Negro, which is perfectly adapted to this extreme environment as it has a high tolerance to drought and shallow soil (hardy variety). This variety is found interspersed in the area’s plantations in the form of centuries-old olive trees, representing up to 20 % of the area under olives.
5.2.   Specificity of the product

The specific characteristics that define ‘Montoro-Adamuz’ oil are due to its high content of phenolic compounds, exceeding 400 ppm, which are responsible for the oil’s characteristic bitterness (K225, minimum 0,3) and which give it its high level of chemical stability against oxidation (minimum 80 hours at 100 oC).
In addition, its sensory attributes, such as its notes of ‘fruity olive’ and ‘green leaf’, are expressed more intensely, with a median fruitiness over 4.
5.3. Causal link between the geographical area and the quality or characteristics of the product (for PDO) or a specific quality, the reputation or other characteristic of the product (for PGI)
The high phenolic compound content of olive oils with the ‘Montoro-Adamuz’ designation, exceeding 400 ppm, is directly related to the presence of the Nevadillo Negro variety, the extreme agricultural and climatic conditions that cause the olive trees physiological stress and early harvesting.
The blend, in which the Picual and Nevadillo Negro varieties are present in variable proportions, is unique and exclusive to ‘Montoro-Adamuz’ olive oil. These olive oils are distinguished by their high levels of polyphenols, which give the olive oil a bitter and spicy quality and allow it to keep extremely well, a characteristic for which this oil has been appreciated since time immemorial.
The extreme Mediterranean climatic conditions, with high average temperature and levels of sunlight, moderate and markedly seasonal rain, together with high levels of annual evapotranspiration of between 800 mm and 900 mm, lead to a significant shortage of water for olive growing, which is exacerbated by the soil conditions in the district – acid soil, steep slopes, shallow, stony soil of low fertility, established on a foundation of acidic materials. This all leads to physiological stress on the olive trees, which causes an increase in the polyphenol content.
The steep topography, with the olive groves situated on steep hillsides, is a factor that has led to early harvesting of the olives becoming a deeply rooted cultural practice. The olives are harvested only from the trees, whilst care is taken to avoid letting them fall to the ground, as it is impossible to harvest them from the ground due to the high costs that this would entail as a result of the lack of mechanisation in the mountain olive groves. Furthermore, this practice results in a product of higher quality.
In addition, the deeply rooted cultural practice of harvesting the fruit early in the district, from 15 October to 15 January, maximises the polyphenol content and produces the olive oils’ extraordinary organoleptic qualities, defined by a median fruitiness over 4, in which its sensory attributes, such as its notes of ‘fruity olive’ and ‘green leaf’, are expressed with maximum intensity.

Reference to publication of the product specification


https://lajunta.es/52mw2



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


ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2025/1366/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)