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

’Lappländsk Fjällröding'

EU No: PGI-SE-02630 — 7.9.2020

PDO ( ) PGI (X)

1.   Name(s) [of PGI]

’Lappländsk Fjällröding'

2.   Member State or Third Country

Sweden

3.   Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1.   Type of product

Class 1.7. Fresh fish, molluscs, and crustaceans and products derived therefrom

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

The protected indication ‘Lappländsk Fjällröding’ refers to whole or filleted farmed fish of the species Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) from the special population which naturally occurs in Lake Hornavan.

The most important characteristics of ‘Lappländsk Fjällröding’ are as follows:

Whole fish:

Body:

Sturdy and firm, somewhat flexible.

Size:

0,2-2 kg

Eyes:

Shiny, vivid, bright, convex, transparent cornea with black pupil and yellow eyeball.

Gills:

Red and moist, without slime, mud or parasites

Skin:

The scales are very small and firmly attached. The skin is shiny and glimmering. The small scales give the skin a metallic lustre.

Colouring:

During spawning season:

Dark silver-grey / green back which fades to lighter tones on the sides, which also have red / pale pink / pale yellow spots. The belly is bright red. The ventral, pectoral and anal fins are red with white at the front.

During the rest of the year:

As above, but with paler nuances (light silver-grey/green with a pale coral-red/pink belly).

Skin mucus:

Transparent and adhering closely to the skin, noticeable to the touch.

Guts:

Shiny and smooth with pearlescent nuances, elastic and with a fresh scent.

Peritoneum:

Transparent, shiny, odourless and adherent to the flesh.

For both whole and filleted ‘Lappländsk Fjällröding’:

Fish meat:

Texture:

Springy and firm with fine muscle fibres.

Colour:

Orange-red (NCS[1] S2050-2060Y50R). The colour depends on the season and is also related to whether the fish is spawning or not. During the spawning season, the musculature is pale orange-red. During the rest of the year the musculature has a brighter orange-red colour.

Aroma:

Skin: faint aroma of fresh lake water.

Meat: very faint aroma of almonds and fresh evergreen.

Flavour:

Full-bodied flavour of roe and umami. Slight sweetness. The intensity is somewhat reduced after cooking.

Consistency:

The meat offers a pleasant firmness while at the same time having a tender and almost creamy mouthfeel.

Mouthfeel:

Moist but not fatty. The mouthfeel is influenced by the texture and fat content. ‘Lappländsk Fjällröding’ has a less coarse texture and less fat between the muscle groups than is typical for salmon, for instance. This means that the meat has a more homogeneous and less fatty mouthfeel than salmon meat.

Levels of nutrients:

Fat: 7,5-8,5 %

Of which:

Saturated fatty acids: 1,4-1,6 %

Monounsaturated fatty acids: 2,9-3,1 %

Polyunsaturated fatty acids: 2,4-2,6 %

Protein: 18-22 %

Vitamin D: 5,6-6,0 μg/100 g of fish

Folate: 22-28 μg/100 g of fish

Iron: 0,1-0,3 mg/100 g of fish

Salt: 0,08-0,12 %

[1] Natural Colour System

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

The fish feed consists of a commercially prepared feed adapted to the needs of the species at various stages of development. It consists of at least 50 % plant material (primarily legumes, wheat, sunflower, rapeseed) and approximately 40 % animal material (primarily fishmeal, fish oil). The feed contains approximately 1 % phosphorus and approximately 6-8 % nitrogen. Every feed batch is traceable.

The feed is predominantly produced outside the defined geographical area as described under point 4.

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

The production of ‘Lappländsk Fjällröding’ must take place in the area defined under point 4 and consists of the following steps: roe and milt production, roe fertilisation, egg hatching, yolk-sac fry cultivation, cultivation of fish for stocking, table fish cultivation, harvesting, gutting and grading.

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

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4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

The production area for ‘Lappländsk Fjällröding’ consists of the historic court districts of Arjeplog, Arvidsjaur, Lycksele, Vilhelmina and Åsele as well as Malå parish in Swedish Lapland.

5.   Link with the geographical area

The link between the characteristics of ‘Lappländsk Fjällröding’ and the geographical area is based on natural and human factors.

Specificity of the product

‘Lappländsk Fjällröding’ has firm and springy flesh with fine muscle fibres that is pleasantly substantial. The flavour is full-bodied with notes of roe and umami. The faint aroma has notes of almonds and evergreen.

‘Lappländsk Fjällröding’ has red / pale pink / pale yellow spots on the body, instead of the black patches found on members of the genus Salmo. The anal, pectoral and ventral fins are often white at the front. The head is relatively small and the scales are small and firmly attached. ‘Lappländsk Fjällröding’ grows quickly and is late to reach sexual maturity.

‘Lappländsk Fjällröding’ is also distinct from the char species found in southern Sweden (Salvelinus lepechini) in part because of its smaller size. ‘Lappländsk Fjällröding’ also has firmer flesh than S. lepechini, which means that, unlike the flesh of S. lepechini, it does not flake apart.

Specificities of the production area

As a consequence of the production area’s northern location and altitude, the climate is harsh (temperatures between -10 °C and -17 °C in January and between 0 °C and 15 °C in July). A large part of the annual precipitation falls as snow during the winter months. The average water flow in the four large rivers that drain the production area is between 165 and 500 cubic metres per second. The high water flow means that the water exchange rate in the production area’s lakes and watercourses is high, and as a result the water is comparatively nutrient-poor (nitrogen levels range between 150 and 200 μg per litre and phosphorus levels range between 3 and 10 μg per litre), is very faintly coloured with humic substances (optical density F420/5: 0,025-0,045) and has a relatively low temperature throughout the year (summer temperatures are usually between 7 °C and 14 °C).

Link with natural factors

The fish cultivated as ‘Lappländsk Fjällröding’ is descended from the large, genetically identifiable subpopulation of Arctic char which lives in Hornavan, a lake in the historic court district of Arjeplog (part of the production area of ‘Lappländsk Fjällröding’). The Arctic char cultivated for the production of ‘Lappländsk Fjällröding’ has firm and springy flesh with fine muscle fibres, is late to reach sexual maturity and grows relatively quickly. It is evolutionarily adapted to life in cold, clear, nutrient-poor waters.

‘Lappländsk Fjällröding’ is therefore cultivated in the lakes and watercourses within the production area as described under point 4, which have cold, clear, nutrient-poor water with a high water exchange rate. The cultivation method is adapted to allow ‘Lappländsk Fjällröding’ to retain as much as possible of the characteristics (the consistency, flavour and aroma of the fish meat) and the behaviour found in the wild Arctic char in Lake Hornavan.

Link with human factors

The special characteristics that are typical of ‘Lappländsk Fjällröding’ are also due to the experience and expertise of the personnel responsible for the cultivation, from the selection of roe and milt donors to the completed final product.

The production of ‘Lappländsk Fjällröding’ starts with the selection of suitable brood fish. On the basis of the fish’s morphology and behaviour, an experienced fry breeder can estimate the capacity for growth and the existence of any genetic defects which could result in deformities in its offspring. With competent and careful handling of the brood fish, the same brood fish can be used for the production of roe/milt for 5 or 6 years.

After the roe and milt have been mixed together, the excess milt is rinsed away and the roe is placed in the hatchery. The development of the roe is carefully monitored by experienced personnel who can determine whether the roe is fertilised or not and who manually remove dead or unfertilised eggs.

The hatching speed is a function of time and the temperature of the water (degree days). To keep all the eggs from hatching at the same time, the cultivator adjusts the moment of hatching by allowing the eggs to develop at different water temperatures. After hatching, the development, behaviour and health of the yolk-sac fry are continually monitored so that the fry can be moved to the cultivation troughs with running water and fed with starter feed (feed with a high protein content) at the right time in their development.

When the fry have reached the correct size of 25 grams they are moved to a table fish farm in one of the water systems within the production area. During the cultivation of ‘Lappländsk Fjällröding’ the cultivator carefully monitors the behaviour of the fish so as to be able to assess its health. The cultivation takes place in pure, cold running water in the production area under conditions that allow the Arctic char to maintain its natural behaviour for as long as possible. The work requires the cultivator to have solid knowledge of the Arctic char’s natural behaviour and living conditions.

Reference to publication of the specification

https://www.livsmedelsverket.se/globalassets/foretag-regler-kontroll/livsmedelsinformation-markning-halsopastaenden/skyddade-beteckningar/ansokan_lapplandsk_fjallroding-2023_04_20.pdf

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(1)   OJ L 343, 14.12.2012, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2012/1151/oj