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

’Miel de Ibiza / Mel d’Eivissa'

EU No: PDO-ES-02863 – 7.9.2022

PDO ( x) PGI ( )

1.   Name(s) [of PDO or PGI]

’Miel de Ibiza / Mel d’Eivissa'

2.   Member State or Third Country

Spain

3.   Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1.   Type of product

Class 1.4. Other products of animal origin (eggs, honey, various dairy products except butter, etc.)

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

The honey ‘Miel de Ibiza / Mel d’Eivissa’ is a foodstuff produced by bees from the nectar of flowers of certain plants located in Ibiza which the bees sip, transform, combine with certain substances that they produce themselves, deposit, dehydrate, store and mature in the beehive comb cells.

Melissopalynological characteristics:

‘Miel de Ibiza / Mel d’Eivissa’ is characterised by the presence of pollen belonging to the following botanical species: Lotus sp. (birdsfoot trefoil) and Cistus-Helianthemum sp. (rockroses), excluding Cistus ladanifer. Furthermore, Echium sp. (blue devil) is detected in more than 80 % of this honey. The botanical species described act as markers of the geographical origin of the product.

‘Miel de Ibiza / Mel d’Eivissa’ collected in the spring is supplemented with pollen from Psoralea bituminosa L. (pitch trefoil) and other leguminous shrubs (Fabaceae) and spring-blooming Brassicaceae.

‘Miel de Ibiza / Mel d’Eivissa’ collected in the autumn also contains pollen from Ceratonia siliqua (carob) and Erica multiflora (Mediterranean heath).

The honeydew element content is below 3 %.

Organoleptic characteristics at the time of packaging:

Amber colour (from very light to dark), bright appearance without any visible impurities. Medium intensity aroma, floral, fresh, with possible notes of camphor. Medium to high viscosity. Sweet taste with acidic notes and a refreshing sensation.

Physico-chemical characteristics:

—	Colour: 40-142 mm on the Pfund scale

—	Hydroxymethylfurfural content: below 35 mg/kg at the time of packaging

—	Diastase activity: above 12 on the Schade scale at the time of packaging

—	Moisture: lower than 18 %

—	Water-insoluble solids: below 0,05g/100

—	Sucrose: lower than 0,5 %

—	Conductivity: no higher than 0,8 mS/cm

—	Free acidity below 40 milliequivalents/kg

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

The bees may feed on sugars and plant extracts if there is a lack of food in the natural environment and only in order to ensure the survival of the colony. The use of pollen and foodstuffs containing additives is forbidden. It is obligatory to prevent the bees from feeding for at least one month before the honey is collected.

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

All steps in the production of ‘Miel de Ibiza / Mel d’Eivissa’ (collection and extraction) must take place in the geographical area defined in point 4.

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

The packaging used for ‘Miel de Ibiza / Mel d’Eivissa’ is made of glass or other material that guarantees the quality of the product, with an hermetic seal and guarantee seal to ensure that the packaging has not been interfered with. The packaging has a maximum capacity of 1 kg.

It is essential that the product be packaged in the facilities where it is extracted in order to preserve the characteristics of ‘Miel de Ibiza / Mel d’Eivissa’.

The handling and transportation of bulk batches of the honey could have a negative effect on its aroma and flavour. Firstly, this is because there could be changes to the environmental conditions which might lead to alteration or loss of the volatile compounds that give the honey its characteristic flavour and, secondly, foreign odours could be absorbed which would alter the final aroma.

Furthermore, if the honey is transported in bulk it could be exposed to unwanted humidity and temperature conditions, which would compromise its quality, since diastatic activity and water content can vary significantly.

The honey’s high level of hygroscopicity means that it is important to control ambient humidity in order to prevent fermentation. Packaging the product in the facilities where it was extracted minimises the time that the product is exposed to ambient humidity.

Owing to the aforementioned circumstances and the operators’ experience, Miel de Ibiza / Mel d’Eivissa’ has traditionally been packaged after maturation in the same premises where it was extracted and no honey is transported in bulk between facilities.

The temperature during handling and extraction must not exceed 25 oC. Good handling and packaging practices at controlled temperature make it possible to obtain honey with an optimum hydroxymethylfurfural content, indicative of quality and freshness, and to obtain the characteristic colour of ‘Miel de Ibiza / Mel d’Eivissa’.

In order to control the quality of the final product, it is not permitted to sell the product in bulk, divided into smaller quantities or repackaged; the aim being to minimise the product’s exposure to the environment.

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

The labelling of every package of ‘Miel de Ibiza / Mel d’Eivissa’ must include:

a)	‘Miel de Ibiza’ or ‘Mel d’Eivissa’

b)	The words ‘Protected Designation of Origin’

c)	A unique code to facilitate traceability of the product

d)	The year the honey was harvested

Optionally, the time of harvesting may be indicated on the labelling, subject to the following rules:

—	Spring honey or spring meadow honey: honey collected between March and May.

—	Summer honey: honey collected between June and August.

—	Autumn honey: honey collected between October and December.

4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

The area of production, collection, extraction and packaging is limited to the island of Ibiza, which belongs to the Autonomous Community of the Balearic Islands.

5.   Link with the geographical area

The link is established by the exceptional quality of ‘Miel de Ibiza / Mel d’Eivissa’, which is attributable to the geographical environment and the human factor. Firstly, the geo-climatic conditions typical of the geographical environment mean that Fabaceae, Boraginaceae and Cistaceae all grow and flower together. Secondly, the human factor is important in terms of the selection of bees, the choice of an environment suitable for the hives, removal of the bees and the choice of an optimal time to extract and handle the honey.

The specific character of ‘Miel de Ibiza / Mel d’Eivissa’ is directly attributable to the flora, which is a natural factor intrinsic to the island. The simultaneous and abundant presence of pollen from the following botanical species: Echium sp. (blue devil), Lotus sp. (birdsfoot trefoil) and Cistus-Helianthemum sp., excluding Cistus ladanifer, does not occur anywhere else in Spain (Gómez Pajuelo, A., 2021). This gives ‘Miel de Ibiza / Mel d’Eivissa’ a characteristic and exceptional pollen profile that sets it apart.

The nectariferous plant species which define the character of ‘Miel de Ibiza / Mel d’Eivissa’ are: mostly Echium sp. (blue devil),the main ones being Echium plantagineum, and Lotus sp. (birdsfoot trefoil), particularly Lotus creticus. These plants provide a fresh and floral aroma.

The rockroses, Cistus-Helianthemum sp., excluding Cistus ladanifer, are non-nectariferous plants that are mainly responsible for the product’s characteristic amber colour.

The typical flora, which lends ‘Miel de Ibiza / Mel d’Eivissa’ its character, is determined by the island’s soil and climate, characterised by low rainfall (600 mm per year). This semi-arid environment, together with the gentle slopes of limestone, dolomite and marl rock, favours the growth of wild vegetation with its own distinctive characteristics.

The specific characteristics of the nectar of Ibiza’s wild flora have an impact on the sugar profile of ‘Miel de Ibiza / Mel d’Eivissa’, which is characterised by: a balance between the proportions of glucose and fructose and a reduced sucrose content. The low sucrose content of ‘Miel de Ibiza / Mel d’Eivissa’ is also an indicator of the reduced honeydew content.

The human factor determines the quality of ‘Miel de Ibiza / Mel d’Eivissa’.

Firstly, because the most prolific bees adapted to the environment are carefully selected using a special trapping system consisting of the use of natural bee traps, making it possible to obtain the best colonies to produce ‘Miel de Ibiza / Mel d’Eivissa’.

Secondly, because of the location of the hives, which limits the bees’ flight area, and the wild plants that they pollinate, which lend the honey its distinctive character.

Thirdly, because the most suitable plant material is selected to remove the bees: Rosemary and/or thyme branches are used as brushes or as fuel for the bee smokers which gives ‘Miel de Ibiza / Mel d’Eivissa’ a refreshing taste attributable to the rosemary’s essential oils.

Finally, because the combs are uncapped at the optimum point of maturation, which makes it possible to obtain honey with a moisture content of less than 18 % and a low sucrose content of less than 0,5 %.

Reference to publication of the specification

http://www.caib.es/sites/qualitatagroalimentaria/ca/miel_de_ibizamel_deivissa/

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(1)   OJ L 343, 14.12.2012, p. 1.