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

’Lofotlam'

EU No: PGI-NO-02899— 25.1.2023

PDO ( ) PGI (X)

1.   Name(s)

’Lofotlam'

2.   Member State or Third Country

Norway

3.   Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1.   Type of product

Class 1.1 Fresh meat (and entrails)

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

Lofotlam is meat from lambs born, raised and grazed in Lofoten. The term includes fresh and frozen carcasses, natural prime cuts and meat sorts.

The carcass must have a minimum slaughter weight of 16 kg and be between 4 and 10 months old. Lofotlam must be classified in main class O or better and fat percentage in class 3 or lower according to the EUROP system. All lambs are star lambs.

The meat has a high proportion of intramuscular fat, is juicy and tender with low chewing resistance. The surface of the cut meat has a marbled appearance due to thin layers of intramuscular fat. There is no deposit of fat layers on the outside of the carcass. Meat from Lofotlam has a light red colour, has a fresh aroma, soft texture and a slightly gamey taste. The meat is naturally pre-salted.

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

Lofotlam are to graze on open field pasture with nutritious herbs and pasture grass, from the shore and up to the tops of the mountains for at least 8 weeks.

Lambs slaughtered in the autumn, sourced directly from pastures, shall not be provided any form of commercial feed mix.

Lambs not prepared for slaughter in the autumn may be fed limited volumes of commercial feed mixes but they must not have unrestricted access to such feeds. These lambs shall not be older than one year when slaughtered. Commercial feed mixes are prohibited from contain medications, preservatives, or consist of any genetically modified organisms or their derivates.

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

Lofotlam is meat from lambs born, raised and grazed in Lofoten.

All animals are to be treated against intestinal parasites before they are released for open field pasture.

Lofotlam are to graze in Lofoten on nutritious herbs and pasture grass, from the shore and up to the tops of the mountains. Lofotlam are to be on open field pasture for at least 8 weeks.

Lambs registered for slaughter as Lofotlam are to be kept separate from other animals from they are picked up at the farm until they are slaughtered and refrigerated.

Lambs not prepared for slaughter in the autumn have free access to coarse fodder in the form of grass and pasture. They may be fed limited volumes of commercial feed mixes but they must not have unrestricted access to such feeds. These lambs shall not be older than one year when slaughtered.

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

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3.6.   Specific rules concerning labelling of the product the registered name refers to

Lofotlam are to be stamped with a designated Lofotlam stamp in 6 places on the carcass; on both thighs, the sides and the shoulder.

4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

The geographical area for the production of Lofotlam is delimited to the municipalities of Røst, Værøy, Moskenes, Flakstad, Vestvågøy and Vågan, Hadsel Municipality, which is situated on Austvågøy, Hadsel Municipality situated on Hinnøya delimited towards the east by the municipal boundary to Lødingen Municipality, and in the north in a line from Høgtinden towards Svartskarvika in Ingelsfjorden, as well as the isles in Raftsundet and Bråttøya og Hanøya Ingelsfjorden.

5.   Link with the geographical area

The link is based on a specific quality/characteristic of the product attributable to its geographical origin.

Sheep farming has a long historical and traditional association with Lofoten, probably as far back as the Viking era. Mutton was the most common meat for people in Lofoten, however, sheep were also an important source of wool for clothing.

The oldest record of sheep farming in Lofoten is the legend of King Mår at Værøy (probably from the Viking era), where he is said to have a flock of sheep so large that when the first sheep reached the gate to the home fields, the last sheep had not yet crossed the mountain edge.

The long continuous tradition for sheep farming has led to the accumulation of a high level of professional expertise in Lofoten on how to raise lambs with the desired quality. The knowledge on breeding, feeding, operation, supervision and moving animals during the pasture season are important factors for the final quality.

Lofotlam have a high carcass weight on average and are classified as star lambs, which can be attributed to the nutritious open field pasture. The pasture areas in Lofoten are unique. The interaction between natural conditions and a long-term utilization of natural resources has created the good pasture conditions. For more than 1 000 years, the landscape has been cultivated through human activities by the extraction of wood and pasturing. The Lofoten landscape is thus a cultivated landscape created by people and grazing animals.

Lofoten has steep mountain sides covered by green grass all the way to the peak. Thus, the lambs have access to large open field pastures stretching from the shore and up to the tops of the mountains. On the shore the lambs have access to fresh seaweed from the Arctic Ocean, which is a valuable dietary supplement.

The green mountain sides in Lofoten have a vegetation of grass and herbs providing very good growth for the grazing animals. The animals also eat leaves from sprouting trees and prevent the re-establishment of new dense forests. The open landscape allows plenty of light and warmth to the plant roots so that plant yield is higher than what one might expect this far north. The species growing here are the species that can sustain the impact of trampling, manure and grazing from grazing animals. These are at the same time species that are rich in proteins. A stable impact from grazing throughout the pasture season also causes continuous new growth (young plants). Young plants have the highest protein content and are the most palatable to the animals, thus the animals absorb a lot of feed.

Winters are mild, and the growing season is long. The lambs may therefore be released early to large open field pastures with access to nutritious herbs and lush pasture grass. Some higher altitude areas are not free of snow until August. This means that Lofotlam graze on completely fresh, young pasture plants with a high protein content throughout the pasture season.

An averagely high carcass weight and classification, highly developed muscle mass and a large percentage of intramuscular meat is typical characteristics of Lofotlam. This is a result of the large nutrient-rich grazing land with seaweed, herbs and pasture grass that extends from the shore to the top of the steep mountains once the snow melts.

The growth curve is even, muscle mass is developed throughout the animal and there are no periods of stunting. When this is combined with grazing on steep terrain it contributes to well-developed muscles where the fat becomes intramuscular. This results in tender, light colour and tasty meat with a fresh aroma, soft texture and a slightly gamey taste.

In Lofoten one has traditionally not put salt licks in the pastures because sheep and lambs absorb enough salt through the feed. Sea spray and wind from the ocean ‘season’ the vegetation with salt and other minerals increasing the appetite of grazing animals further. Lofotlam are pre-salted (already salted from nature).

Together with the producers' expertise built up over several hundred years related to sheep farming, this gives high-quality lamb.

Lofotlam has a reputation in the market as very tasty meat. Lofotlam has been named as Norway's best, and Lofotlam is currently on the menu in many restaurants and hotels.

Reference to publication of the specification

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(1)   OJ L 343, 14.12.2012, p. 1.