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

(Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012)

‘Scottish Farmed Salmon’

EC No: PGI-GB-0141-AM02 – 10 December 2024

PGI (X) PDO ()

1.   Name of product

Scottish Farmed Salmon

2.   Third Country to which the geographical area belongs

United Kingdom

3.   National authority or applicant group communicating the standard amendment

Name: Salmon Scotland Ltd (SC152347)

Contact: Dr. Iain Berrill

Email: iain@salmonscotland.co.uk

Address: Floor 3, Venue Studios, 21 Calton Road, Edinburgh, EH8 8DL

Tel. +44 01312026621

Email: enquiries@salmonscotland.co.uk

4.   Description of the approved amendment(s)

These amendments fall under the definition of a standard amendment as provided for in Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) no 1151/2012. They do not involve a change to the name, risk voiding the link or place further marketing restrictions on the product.

a)	Removal of references to ‘conventional’ and ‘organic’ as well as ‘routine testing’ (product specification)

b)	Removal of the word ‘western’ at the beginning of the following text - The western coastal region of mainland Scotland… (product specification and single document)

c)	In the following sentence – ‘Indeed, today over 4 000 people are directly employed in the production of Scottish Salmon, either in the rearing process (hatcheries and ongrowing farms)’addition of word ‘ongrowing’. (product specification and single document)

d)	Removal of the ‘Organic Farmed Salmon’ section. Clarifying the life stages of salmon from ova to harvest. (product specification)

e)	General grammatical and technical corrections. (product specification and single document)

SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘Scottish Farmed Salmon’

EC No: PGI-GB-0141-AM02 – 10 December 2024

PGI (X) PDO ()

1.   Product name(s)

Scottish Farmed Salmon

2.   Country

Great Britain

3.   Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1.   Type of product (as in Annex XI Commission Implementing Regulation No 668/2014)

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

3.2.   Description of the product

Scottish Farmed Salmon must be typical of the species, Salmo salar (Atlantic salmon). Scottish Farmed Salmon have a consistent shape. The fish must have a rounded ventral body shape when viewed laterally and the body wall musculature should show no significant tendency to collapse when carcass is eviscerated. Scottish Farmed Salmon have an iridescent appearance and are silver in colour. The flesh colour must have a minimum intensity of 26 on the SalmoFan™ scale. Scottish Farmed Salmon flesh is firm with a fibrous but smooth and even texture. Scottish Farmed Salmon have a consistent flavour primarily due to rapid chilling post-harvest.

Processing practices must provide for samples of Scottish Farmed Salmon to be evaluated against defined bacteriological criteria to ensure that, overall, hygiene procedures are effective, and that the microbiological quality of the products is being maintained at a satisfactory level.

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

–

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

The production process can be divided into multiple stages, where salmon ongrowing must take place in the identified geographical area. The first stage involves raising the fish from ova through to the smolt stage and all this is done within a freshwater environment. At the smolt stage the fish are transferred into sea pens in lochs and inlets around the Scottish coast for a period of up to 2 years. The salmon are fed on compound rations which may include fish meal, fish oil and a basket of other ingredients to ensure that they are provided with all of their nutritional requirements.

The final stage involves the humane harvesting of the salmon using methods which ensure that they are rapidly stunned and then bled. This ensures high flesh quality, and the process is underpinned by robust hygiene protocols. They are then gutted as soon as possible and brought down to a packaging temperatures of 0-2 °C before being packed into food grade boxes/containers to protect the product during handling, storage and transit and all packing is carried out in line with stringent protocols governing temperature controls, hygiene standards and product grading. The salmon is stored and distributed to the consumer in line with strict hygiene standards, including temperature control at between 0-2 °C.

Independent inspectors rigorously enforce the quality of Scottish Farmed Salmon. Farms and packing stations undergo frequent, detailed checks.

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

–

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

The entire range of ‘Scottish Farmed Salmon’ products, presentations and dishes including frozen, smoked, ready meals, salmon mousse and salmon pâté are allowed to bear this designation with obligatory mention of the place of manufacture on their label accompanied by the reference to the manufacturing process. Scottish Farmed Salmon, which is not presented as a single ingredient, fresh, chilled, product to the consumer (and not previously frozen) may benefit from the aforementioned designation but must state either ‘Made with Scottish Farmed Salmon’, ‘Made using Scottish Farmed Salmon’, ‘Contains Scottish Farmed Salmon’ or lists Scottish Farmed Salmon as an ingredient on product packaging, as appropriate.

4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

The coastal region of mainland Scotland, Western Isles, Orkney and Shetland Isles

5.   Link with the geographical area

Scottish Farmed Salmon are grown in the Scottish marine environment. It is the salmon stage of production (the stage between smolt and harvest), in this environment, that underpins this Protected Geographical Indication. For Scottish Farmed Salmon, the designated production area provides a unique environment which produces the characteristic features of Scottish Farmed Salmon. In particular, these include:

—	High flushing rates of sea lochs and voes which provide strong currents ensuring that the salmon are continually swimming. This in turn produces the distinctive firm-textured flesh and prevents excessive fat deposition.

—	High rates of water exchange ensure a good oxygen supply which increases the salmon’s metabolic rate and leads to a beneficial effect on the size and weight of the salmon.

—	The high quality, North Atlantic oceanic water enables the salmon to grow evenly and to a consistent shape.

—	The small fluctuation in water temperature over any given year means that the fish can be cultivated in a relatively stable environment which in turn produces an even and consistent flavour and texture with no ‘off flavour’.

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(1)   OJ L 179, 19.6.2014, p. 17.