Following this publication, the authorities of a Member State or of a third country, or a natural or legal person having a legitimate interest and established or resident in a third country, may lodge, in accordance with Article 17 of Regulation (EU) 2024/1143 of the European Parliament and of the Council (1) an opposition with the Commission within three months from the date of this publication.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘ Carne Salada del Trentino’

EU No: PGI-IT-03201

Sent on 7 March 2024

1.   Name(s) of PGI

‘Carne Salada del Trentino’

2.   Member State or Third Country

Italy

3.   Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1.   Type of product

Class 1.2. Meat products (cooked, salted, smoked, etc.)

Combined Nomenclature code

—	16 – PREPARATIONS OF MEAT, OF FISH OR OF CRUSTACEANS, MOLLUSCS OR OTHER AQUATIC INVERTEBRATES, OR OF INSECTS

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

The name ‘Carne Salada del Trentino’ denotes a cured meat product made from the meat of beef cattle aged between 18 and 48 months, obtained from the topside [fesa], eye of silverside [punta d’anca], silverside [sottofesa] and eye of round [magatello] cuts, flavoured and cured in brine. The product, which must always be obtained from a single muscle fascicle, must have the following characteristics when it is released for consumption.

Physical characteristics

Shape: if whole, irregular, oblong or tapered depending on the type of cut used, or generally cylindrical or rectangular in cases where the meat has been pressed and/or packed into casing or elastic netting; if portioned, varies depending on how it has been cut, or generally cylindrical or rectangular in cases where the portion of meat has been pressed and/or packed into casing or elastic netting; if pre-sliced, regular-shaped slices, leaving off both ends of the cut used. The possible presence of natural seams is permitted in each of the three types.

Weight: between 0,2 and 6,0 kg;

Texture: firm, compact, not limp, moderately easy to chew.

Organoleptic characteristics

Appearance when cut: uniform ruby red colour that can change to dark red on the outer surface;

Smell: delicate, distinctive;

Taste: moderately flavoursome, tasting of mature meat;

Aroma: slightly spicy.

Chemical characteristics: humidity max. 73,50 %; protein: min. 20,50 %; sodium chloride: max. 4,0 %; fat: max. 7 %; pH: min. 4,6.

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

The use of feed is not subject to any quality conditions.

‘Carne Salada del Trentino’ is obtained exclusively from the following muscle masses taken from the boned legs of cattle aged between 18 and 48 months: topside [fesa], eye of silverside [punta d’anca], silverside [sottofesa] and eye of round [magatello].

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

Trimming. The above-mentioned muscle masses are trimmed by removing visible fat, intramuscular fat and external tendons, making sure not to make incisions in order not to compromise either the uniformity of the salting or the product’s homogeneity.

Salting and Curing. Salting takes place in special containers made of stainless steel or other material suitable for food use, at temperatures ranging from 0 °C to +7 °C. The muscle masses are sprinkled by hand or using a mechanical dispenser with a mixture of salt, black pepper and garlic used in the following quantities relative to the weight of fresh meat: salt (sodium chloride) 2,0 % - 2,8 %; black pepper 0,1 % - 1,0 %; garlic 0,1 % - 1,0 %. It is forbidden to inject the brine into the muscle fibres using mechanical methods. During this stage, one or more of the following ingredients may be added, up to a maximum of 1 % of the weight of the fresh meat: bay, rosemary, juniper berries, nutmeg, anise and sage. The use of dextrose and/or sucrose is permitted up to a maximum of 0,60 % of the weight of the meat at the beginning of the treatment. It is not permitted to use colourings or ingredients containing gluten and/or allergens. The action of the salt stimulates the release of the liquid naturally present in the tissues of the meat, resulting in the formation of an aqueous solution which, as it progressively accumulates inside the containers, becomes impregnated with the flavours emanating from the ingredients added during salting (the ‘brine’), facilitating its absorption into the muscle fibres. During the curing stage, which should last at least 15 days starting from the salting process, it is permitted to press the meat in the containers, as well as massage the meat and move it from one container to another. Such operations may be done by hand or using mechanical equipment.

Packing. When curing is complete, it is permitted to pack the pieces of meat into casing or elastic netting to give them a regular shape tending towards cylindrical or rectangular.

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

‘Carne Salada del Trentino’ may be marketed whole, in portions or in slices. On the packaging, the label must feature, in clear and legible print, the words ‘Carne Salada del Trentino’ and the elements required by EU and national rules, in addition to the logo reproduced below, composed of a vertical outline set on an irregular rectangular base with three round corners and one square corner. On the inside is the abbreviation ‘CS’ illustrated with gestural strokes, the outline of an adult bovine head (which represents the raw material from which the product is made) and an outline of mountain peaks (a reference to Trentino’s landscape). The latter, in turn, serves as the backdrop for the words ‘Carne Salada del Trentino’ and the abbreviation ‘IGP’ [PGI] for which the ‘Montserrat’ sans-serif font is used in capital letters in its ‘extrabold’ variant with tracking of 100, while the letters ‘IGP’ are lighter and use the ‘regular’ variant of the same font. The colorimetric data of the external outline, ‘CS’ abbreviation illustrated with gestural strokes, outline of the adult bovine head and outline of mountain peaks are the following: CMYK: 100 | 85 | 0 | 30; PANTONE: 2147C; RGB: 0 | 38 | 119; HEX: #002677. The remaining space is white in colour. The logo may also be displayed in black and white.

On the label, in the presentation and in the advertisement of “Carne Salada del Trentino”: it is forbidden to add any product description that is not expressly provided for; the use of business/company names and brand names is permitted unless they have laudatory purport and provided that they are not such as to mislead the consumer or highlight characteristics which the product must in any case possess, as required by the product specification; it is forbidden to associate the name of the product with images or terms that recall specific territories inside the production area; it is permitted, however, in accordance with the legislation in force, to use truthful and verifiable references, including an illustration of the history of the product and/or producer, provided that they do not conflict with the purposes and content of this product specification; the use of collective or certification marks adopted by official bodies is allowed.

4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

The area in which “Carne Salada del Trentino” is produced and packaged comprises the entire administrative territory of the Autonomous Province of Trento, with the exception of the municipalities of Castello Tesino, Cinte Tesino and Pieve Tesino.

5.   Link with the geographical area

The link with the geographical area is based essentially on the product’s reputation. This stems primarily from a specific environmental situation, which had a considerable influence on the fact that beef has always been the basis of the diet of Trentino’s population. The richness of meadows and pastures, linked to the territory’s mostly mountainous landscape, favoured livestock breeding, thus bringing about significant local meat production. Furthermore, this type of consumption was boosted over a long period of time due to the existence of an unusual local rule. Since at least the 18th century – although older documents suggest that it was an earlier custom – all “foreigners’ who passed through Trentino with livestock were required to slaughter and sell to the public a fifth of the transported animals (see Bertoluzza, Statuto di Trento, libro II de” Sindici del 1714 [Statute of Trento, Book II of the Mayors of 1714], chapter 8). Historically, the need to give an outlet for an abundance of meat on the market that was concentrated during certain periods, and the need to ensure a continuous supply to the population throughout the year, are at the origin of the survival of a traditional processing and conservation practice such as that of “Carne Salada del Trentino” that dates back to ancient Rome (Columella, De re rustica, XII, 55) but has been almost completely abandoned elsewhere. The reason why it has been maintained in Trentino is also because of the territory’s meteorological and climatic situation, insofar as the humid southerly winds blowing from the Adriatic to the east and from Lake Garda to the west (the famous Òra wind) naturally maintain these humid conditions, which allow for brine production and an optimal curing process. Alongside the historical and natural factors, human factors also appear to be decisive. The territory is highly specialised in the sector of processed meat production, while its 27 gastronomic specialties demonstrate that its level of professional skill is equally rich. This cultural background also underlies the renown of the “know how” that goes into the production of “Carne Salada del Trentino”, a set of knowledge and experience developed from generation to generation – from the ability to select the most suitable meat cuts and ingredients to cure the product correctly – which led to a particular refinement of the techniques in use.

“Carne Salada del Trentino” therefore originated in this environment from the combination of natural and human factors. Today, there are no potentially comparable products and it is thus an almost unique gastronomic phenomenon with some widely recognised characteristics: marked leanness, moderately flavoursome, tasting of mature meat, delicate and distinctive fragrance, slightly spicy aroma, high protein content and easy to chew.

Based on those characteristics, “Carne Salada del Trentino” has been able to enjoy a growing reputation. Although distribution of the product was originally limited to Trentino, knowledge of it crossed the borders of this geographical area centuries ago, albeit limited to the upper classes, as indicated by two manuscripts written in a noble setting in the 15th and 16th centuries respectively: De arte coquinaria by Maestro de’ Rossi, a copy of which was rediscovered at Riva del Garda, which describes the cooking method for carbonata di carne salata, and the anonymous De Cucuina, which contains the recipe for Coch di Carne Salada del Trentino. Two women with a taste and passion for good food active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries should be credited with giving rise, through the prominence assigned to ‘Carne Salada del Trentino’ in their successful recipe books, to its more widespread popularity in both social and geographical terms (Italy and the countries within the Habsburg Empire). The two authors are: Caterina Prato, whose Manuale di cucina [Cooking Manual], published in 1858 in German, was also reprinted several times in Italian from 1892 to great success; and Giulia Turco Lazzari, who in 1904 wrote an important and voluminous Manuale di Cucina [Cooking Manual], later summarised for popular use in a more reduced recipe book that was very widely distributed, entitled Il Piccolo Focolare (1908) [The Small Hearth].

However, it is mostly from the mid-20th century onwards that the product’s reputation grew considerably. In fact, since then there have been no publications on typical products or traditional dishes, nor a tourist or gastronomic guide, whether circulated locally or nationally, which from the first edition has not referred to ‘Carne Salada del Trentino’ as one of the most typical expressions of the territory’s food culture. Among the most important and most widely distributed are: Touring Club Italiano’s Guida gastronomica d’Italia (1969) [Gastronomic Guide to Italy] and L’Italia dei salumi (2003) [Italy and its Charcuterie]; L’Atlante dei prodotti tipici – I salumi (1989) [Atlas of Typical Products – Charcuterie] published by INSOR (National Institute of Rural Sociology); L’Italia del Gambero Rosso (2007) [Gambero Rosso’s Italy] and I Grandi Salumi del Gambero Rosso (2013) [Gambero Rosso’s Great Charcuterie]; Slow Food’s Il Buon Paese (1994) [The Country of good food], Dizionario delle cucine regionali italiane (2008) [Dictionary of Italian Regional Cuisines] and L’Atlante dei prodotti italiani [Atlas of Italian Products] (2012); Enciclopedia Garzanti della Cucina (2010) [Garzanti’s Culinary Encyclopedia]; 1000 sapori da gustare nella vita (2000) [1000 flavours everyone should taste in life]; Gli Itinerari del Corriere della Sera. Il Trentino [Corriere della Sera Itineraries. Trentino] (2007); and Espresso magazine’s guide I salumi d’Italia (2017) [Italian charcuterie]. It is clear from these publications, as well as from the continuous testimonies in the press and on radio and television, that ‘Carne Salada del Trentino’ is no longer produced out of a need to preserve meat, but rather that it is a deliberate choice to offer the public an excellent product with a long history behind it. It is also significant that, according to research by the Chamber of Commerce of Trento, ‘Carne Salada del Trentino’ is the product that has the most potential for growth among charcuterie products from Trentino.

Furthermore, its reputation is enhanced by the constant presence of the dish in local restaurants, which gives many tourists the opportunity to directly appreciate its quality and characteristics.

Reference to publication of the product specification

https://www.politicheagricole.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeBLOB.php/L/IT/IDPagina/3335

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(1)  Regulation (EU) 2024/1143 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 April 2024 on geographical indications for wine, spirit drinks and agricultural products, as well as traditional specialities guaranteed and optional quality terms for agricultural products, amending Regulations (EU) No 1308/2013, (EU) 2019/787 and (EU) 2019/1753 and repealing Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 (OJ L, 2024/1143, 23.4.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1143/oj).