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

‘Lada Putih Muntok’

EU No: PDO-ID-02919 - 17.4.2023

PDO (X) PGI ( )

1.   Name(s) [of PD)O or PGI]

2.   Member State or Third Country

Indonesia

3.   Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1.   Type of product

Class 1.8. other products listed in Annex I to the Treaty (spices etc.)

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

‘Lada Putih Muntok’ has a yellowish white, brownish white or greyish white colour, and a density of approximately 663,895 g/l. ‘Lada Putih Muntok’ has piperine content of more than 5,7 grams per 100 grams of peppercorns.

‘Lada Putih Muntok’ peppercorns traded are classified as Quality I or Quality II. Quality I have a physical defect limit of a maximum of 1 gram per 100 grams of peppercorns, a maximum water content of 13 grams per 100 grams of peppercorns, and a yellowish white colour, and are free from salmonella sp. bacteria, as well as any live and dead insect contamination. For Quality II, the physical defects limits are less restrictive, with a maximum of 2 grams per 100 grams of peppercorns, a maximum water content of 14 grams per 100 grams of peppercorns, and a yellowish white, greyish white or brownish white colour admitted.

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

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

All stages of production take place in the following area:

Bangka Belitung Islands Province covering six regencies and one city, namely: Bangka Regency, Central Bangka Regency, West Bangka Regency, South Bangka Regency, Belitung Regency, East Belitung Regency and Pangkal Pinang City.

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

Packaging

‘Lada Putih Muntok’ in the form of certified peppercorns for business-to-business (B2B) sales is packed in bags made of polyester, with a net weight of 50 kg per bag. Each bag is sewn using a machine and identified with a lot code. It can also be marketed to consumers in other forms of packaging.

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

Logo

The PDO ‘Lada Putih Muntok’ should be presented with its own logo as well as the Indonesian National Geographical Indication logo, as shown below:

‘Lada Putih Muntok’ logo	Indonesian National Geographical Indication logo

Labelling

Each package of ‘Lada Putih Muntok’ in the form of peppercorns is identified with a lot code providing the following information:

Weight in kg

Quality option: (1) Handpicked, (2) Double wash, (3) ASTA (American Spice Trade Association), (4) FAQ (Fair Average Quality) and Light berries

—	Destination countries

—	‘Lada Putih Muntok’ logo

—	Harvest year

4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

‘Lada Putih Muntok’ in form of peppercorns and pepper powder can only be produced in the Bangka Belitung Islands Province covering six regencies and one city, namely Bangka Regency, Central Bangka Regency, West Bangka Regency, South Bangka Regency, Belitung Regency, East Belitung Regency and Pangkal Pinang City.

‘Lada Putih Muntok’ is cultivated in areas with an altitude of 0 - 500 m above sea level.

5.   Link with the geographical area

The Bangka Belitung Islands Province has a wet tropical climate, influenced by the monsoons. It has rain for 7 months of the year, from September to April, and is dry for 3 months, from June to August. Based on 2004 data from the Meteorology and Geophysics Agency, air humidity ranges from around 72 % to 89 % with an average monthly humidity of 81 %.

Since most of the area comprises sea, the high evaporation rate of seawater greatly affects the high rainfall in this area. The highest rainfall of 337,90 mm occurred in December and the lowest rainfall of 25,40 mm, in July. The average rainfall is 173,40 mm/month with 16 rainy days per month. With this high number of rainy days, this region is wet almost all year long (the average monthly rainfall is more than 100 mm). Such weather is beneficial for the growth of pepper plants because water for the plants is very much available. In addition, there is abundant sunlight for the photosynthesis process, as well as for boosting the productivity and quality of pepper plants.

The topography of the Bangka Belitung Islands Province is generally flat, while some parts of the area are lowlands, valleys, and small hills. The average altitude of its lowland is 50 m above sea level, and the highest point is at an altitude of 699 m above sea level on Bangka Island, at the peak of Mount Maras, and 500 m above sea level on Belitung Island, at the peak of Mount Tajam.

The province has a diverse land profile: flat 46,19 %, undulous 41,08 %, hilly and swamps 12,37 %. 90 % of the landscape has an altitude of less than 100 m above sea level and only around 10 % of the area is more than 100 m above sea level. The land slopes generally range from 15-56 °. This topographical situation is excellent for pepper plant cultivation. ‘Lada Putih Muntok’ is cultivated in areas with an altitude of 0 - 500 m above sea level. The majority of ‘Lada Putih Muntok’ is grown on red-yellow podzolic soil types, characterised by a soil pH of less than 4 - 4,6, which is an acid mineral soil. The soil affects the plants, which then produce high levels of piperine. Piperine is known to give peppers their pungency. Due to a high level of piperine, ‘Lada Putih Muntok’ has a fairly spicy taste. The piperine level of ‘Lada Putih Muntok’ is more than 5,7 grams per 100 grams of peppercorns, which differentiates ‘Lada Putih Muntok’ from peppers originating in other regions.

Natural factors (combined with local processing capacities described below) help create a unique aroma profile that together with the high level of piperine (over 5,7 %) in ‘Lada Putih Muntok’ differentiate these peppers from peppers originating from other regions.

Human factors

According to historical records, the pepper plant was first introduced to Bangka by Demang Abang Muhammad Ali - a local leader in Muntok. He brought the peppercorns to this area in 1860 from Lingga Island, Riau Islands. Since then, peppers, which are known to the local community as ‘sahang’, have been planted in this area.

The people of Bangka Belitung Islands Province have known and cultivated pepper plants for hundreds of years. Therefore, peppercorns have long been an integral part of their daily lives .

Pepper significantly influences the socio-economic status of the community, as owning pepper plantations is a measure of socio-economic status. Therefore, the people of Bangka Belitung Islands Province always compete to cultivate more pepper plants.

The human factor that most significantly influences the final characteristics of ‘Lada Putih Muntok’ is the processing methods that have been developed and perfected from generation to generation over centuries. All processing methods consist of two main steps: the soaking process and the drying process. Moreover, two methods are used by local people and accepted for processing ‘Lada Putih Muntok’: the ‘traditional method’ and the ‘modern method’. Both methods represent the local know-how and are able to influence the taste profile of ‘Lada Putih Muntok’.

—	Traditional method

Peppercorns are picked, separated from the stems by hand and sorted by size and level of ripeness. Pepper fruits that are still green and young are separated from others. Ripe peppercorns are then put into sacks to be soaked in clean running water (river). The soaking lasts for 10-14 days to soften the skin of the fruit.

To ensure all the peppercorns are submerged in water, the sacks are covered with ballast and periodically turned over. Once the fruit skin is softened, the pepper is peeled by hand (rubbed), then washed. The peppercorns are then dried in the sun on a clean mat and protected from dirt and contaminants.

The peppercorns are dried until the moisture content is maximum 13-14 %. The dried peppercorns are then sorted by blowing or winnowing to get quality white peppercorns. The white peppercorns are then packed in burlap sacks lined with plastic bags and stored in a room with controlled temperature and humidity.

—	Modern methods

Pepper fruits that have been manually picked, paying attention to the level of ripeness, are separated from the stems using a thresher machine. The peppercorns are then sorted by size using a sieve of 8 mm diameter holes. Next, the peppercorns are put into sacks and soaked in soaking tubs for 7 days. Once the soaking is finished, the peppercorns are peeled using a peeling machine. The peppercorns are then separated from the skin pulp by washing them with clean water.

To avoid browning, peppercorns may be soaked in a 2 % citric acid solution for 1 hour, then rinsed. After that, the peppercorns are dried in the sun for 2 days and then further dried using a dryer at a temperature of 60-70 °C for 6 hours. Alternatively, they are dried only in the sun, which takes a minimum of 3 days under normal weather conditions. The peppercorns are then sorted using a sieve with a hole diameter of 3 mm. The similar-sized white peppercorns are then packed in burlap sacks lined with plastic bags and stored in a room with controlled temperature and humidity.

The above processing procedures have a considerable impact on the taste of ‘Lada Putih Muntok’ since the soaking process softens the skin to be peeled and removes dirt, dust, and other unnecessary substances, resulting in a cleaner product with the right subtle flavour. The drying process also influences the flavour of ‘Lada Putih Muntok’. Because of their local knowledge, the residents of Bangka Belitung Islands Province know when and how to dry the ‘Lada Putih Muntok’ so that it does not get too dry and lose its flavour.

Reference to publication of the specification

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(1)   OJ L 343, 14.12.2012, p. 1.