COMMUNICATION OF APPROVAL OF A STANDARD AMENDMENT

(Article 24 of Regulation (EU) 2024/1143)

‘Pane Toscano’

EU No: PDO-IT-01016-AM02 – 28.7.2025

1.   Product name

‘Pane Toscano’

2.   Geographical indication type

☒	Protected Designation of Origin (PDO)

☐	Protected Geographical Indication (PGI)

☐	Geographical Indication (GI)

3.   Sector

☒	Agricultural products

☐

Wines

☐	Spirit drinks

4.   Country to which the geographical area belongs

Italy

5.   Member State authority communicating the standard amendment

MASAF [Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry]

6.   Qualification as standard amendment

The amendments fall under the definition of a standard amendment since they do not include a change in the name or in the use of the name, do not risk invalidating the link referred to in the single document and do not entail further restrictions on the marketing of the product.

7.   Description of the approved standard amendment(s)

1.   The amendment concerns the product description, so Article 2 of the product specification and point 3.2 of the single document

The amendment principally concerns the product’s weight.

New version:

‘—	Shape and weight: rhomboid-shaped loaves known locally as “filoncino” weighing between 0,20 kg and 0,50 kg with a +/- 15-20 % tolerance margin; rectangular loaves with rounded corners weighing between 900 g and 11 kg or between 1,80 kg and 2,20 kg, known locally as ‘filone’.

Reason:

In order to meet the demands of large retailers and the needs of single-parent families or people living alone, it is becoming increasingly indispensable to sell smaller loaves, thus also avoiding food waste.

Loaves weighing from 0,20 kg to 0,50 kg, with a +/- 15-20 % tolerance margin, have been added to the ‘Pane Toscano’ product range. This addition makes it possible to increase production, maintain staff numbers and enter new markets outside the region, also helped by the use of modified atmosphere packaging, which has already been provided for in the provisions on packaging.

2.   The amendment concerns the characteristics of the raw material, so Article 5 of the product specification and point 3.3 of the single document

The amendment concerns certain parameters relating to type ‘0’ flour. In particular, the range of values has been widened for W (Chopin Alveograph), P/L index and C:D (Brabender stability).

New version:

‘0’ type flour

Parameter	Value
W (Chopin)	Between 140 and 230
P/L (index)	Between 0,35 and 0,75
H2O absorption	Over 54 %
C:D (Brabender stability)	Over 4’
Falling Number	Over 260

Reason:

In recent years, due to the unpredictable nature of climate change and to global warming, in addition to yields having dropped, the characteristics of wheat have also changed slightly. This has meant that certain parameters of type ‘0’ flour, in particular the W parameter (Chopin) and those related to it such as P/L (index) and C:D (Brabender stability) are no longer compliant with current requirements.

The values of these parameters have therefore been slightly extended.

3.   This amendment concerns the characteristics of the raw material, so Article 5 of the product specification and point 3.3 of the single document

The amendment specifically concerns the parameters for type ‘1’ or type ‘2’ flour

New version:

Type 1 or type 2 flour

Protein (%) ≥10 (11+/-1 %)

Gluten (%) ≥9 (9,5+/-0,5 %)

Reason:

The amendments to the 2022 product specification, which provided for the possibility of using both type 1 and 2 flour to make Pane Toscano PDO, were based on the assumption that the same parameters could be used to define the product and technological characteristics of these types of flour as for type ‘0’ flour.

Checks carried out over the years have shown that these parameters are not reliable for type 1 and 2 flour.

This is particularly evident for the parameters of W (Chopin) and C:D (Brabender stability), which produce incorrect values, especially when the wheat has a low specific gravity. The scientific community and accredited laboratories have come to the conclusion that the established parameters for type 0 are not suited to analysing flour other than type 0, i.e. types 1 and 2.

The University of Pisa therefore conducted a specific study on this issue which confirmed the inadequacy of the above-mentioned parameters for analysing type 1 and 2 flours. It also identified alternative methods of analysis.

The study identified proteins and gluten as stable and therefore reliable parameters for type 1 and 2 flours, and these have therefore been included in the assessment of the product and technological characteristics of these types of flour.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

1.   Name(s) (of PDO or PGI)

‘Pane Toscano’

2.   Member State or Third Country

Italy

3.   Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1.   Combined Nomenclature code

—	19 – PREPARATIONS OF CEREALS, FLOUR, STARCH OR MILK; PASTRYCOOKS’ PRODUCTS 1905 – Bread, pastry, cakes, biscuits and other bakers’ wares, whether or not containing cocoa; communion wafers, empty cachets of a kind suitable for pharmaceutical use, sealing wafers, rice paper and similar products

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

‘Pane Toscano’ PDO refers to bread made by a typical method used in Tuscany, which requires the exclusive use of a sourdough starter, water and type 0, type 1 or type 2 soft wheat flour, containing wheatgerm, made from the varieties of wheat grown in the production area defined in point 4.

When the product is marketed, ‘Pane Toscano’ PDO should have the following characteristics:

Shape and weight: rhomboid-shaped loaves known locally as ‘filoncino’ weighing between 0,20 kg and 0,50 kg with a +/- 15-20 % tolerance margin; rectangular loaves with rounded corners weighing between 900 g and 1,1 kg or between 1,80 kg and 2,20 kg, known locally as ‘filone’.

Thickness: between 5 and 12 cm;

Crust: crunchy, with a dark, opaque nut-brown colour;

Crumb: for type 0 flour, white or ivory in colour characterised by irregular alveoli; for type 1 or type 2 flour, a uniform amber colour characterised by irregular alveoli;

Aroma: roasted hazelnuts;

Taste: neutral, i.e. unsalted, and slightly acidic;

Moisture content: no more than 40 % by weight.

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

Type ‘0’ soft wheat wholegrain flour with the following product and technical characteristics:

Parameter	Value
W (Chopin)	Between 140 and 230
P/L (index)	Between 0,35 and 0,75
H2O absorption	Over 54 %
C:D (Brabender stability)	Over 4’
Falling Number	Over 260

Type 1 or type 2 soft wheat flour, containing wheat germ, with the following product and technical characteristics:

Parameter	Value
Protein (%)	≥10 (11+/-1 %)
Gluten (%)	≥9 (9,5+/-0,5 %)

Flours with a W (Chopin) value higher than that given in the table may only be used to prepare the sourdough starter.

Water.

Natural yeast or sourdough, consisting of a portion of dough from a previous preparation which, kept in a suitable environment, undergoes a gradual process of fermentation and acidification. When suitably refreshed, this sourdough, called the ‘starter’, is able to initiate the rising process when combined with new dough.

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

Growing, harvesting and storing the wheat; then grinding the grain to produce the wheatgerm flour.

Producing the natural yeast or sourdough starter, as it is or freeze-dried, and keeping an ‘archive’ of strains that can be used to refresh the sourdough starter; preparing the starter (biga), the rising process, and finally baking the bread.

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

‘Pane Toscano’ PDO is marketed in food-grade packaging, either sliced or unsliced.

Both the slicing and packaging of the sliced and unsliced bread must be carried out exclusively at the place of production. These operations must be performed immediately after the bread has cooled so as to preserve the aroma of ‘Pane Toscano’ PDO and to avoid excessive variations in the moisture content of the unsliced product and of the surface of the slices, which would change their organoleptic characteristics. The product may also be sliced and packaged in a modified atmosphere.

Alternatively, the product may be sold unpackaged as long as it is identifiable by a label suitable for food use, applied directly to the loaf before baking, which bears the logo of the PDO and other mandatory information.

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

The following information must be provided on the packaging:

the logo of the ‘Pane Toscana’ PDO;

the EU PDO symbol pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1898/2006, which must be placed in the same visual field as the denomination ‘Pane Toscano’;

the name and address or location of the individual and/or associated baker.

No other qualifications may be added to those listed in the product specification, including the terms: type, flavour, use, selection or similar qualifiers.

However, the following are permitted:

the use of names, trade names of companies and consortia and private logos, provided that they have no laudatory purport and are not such as to mislead the consumer;

references to the production process such as: wheat varieties, ‘stone-ground’ and ‘baked in a wood-fired oven’;

possible information for the consumer regarding the use and organoleptic characteristics of ‘Pane Toscano’ PDO, as well as historical and cultural references.

These indications may feature on the label providing their font size is no larger than that of the designation ‘Pane Toscano’.

The ‘Pane Toscano’ PDO logo consists of an image representing the outline of the region of Tuscany.

4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

The area where the wheat, flour and yeast are obtained, and where ‘Pane Toscano’ PDO is produced and packaged, comprises the entire administrative territory of the Tuscany Region.

5.   Link with the geographical area

The link with the geographical area is based on natural factors, the specific characteristics of the product, as well as the human factor and the production method used in the geographical area defined in point 4.

The production area for ‘Pane Toscano’ PDO slopes downwards from the interior to the coast and from north to south, and is bordered by the Apennine mountains which protect it against inclement weather from the east and particularly from the north-east, while it is completely exposed to winds and precipitation from the west. From a climate point of view the area is characterised by temperatures and precipitation that are quite different from those of all neighbouring areas, seen at regional level, during the wheat-growing season from November to July. The climate data (minimum, average and maximum temperatures, total precipitation and sunshine) during the period from 1981 to 2010 reveal that the minimum temperatures are the most influential factor for the parameters (W and P/L) of the flour used, and that in spite of the variations within the region, the area is clearly different from the others. In this area soft wheat is grown on the wide plains (the Arno and Tiber valleys), but above all on the huge Apennine hilly areas or uplands. These environments have led to the emergence of different local wheat ecotypes, the landrace varieties, from which many of the varieties grown today specifically for making flour suitable for the production of ‘Pane Toscano’ PDO originated. The same varieties grown in other areas, even those neighbouring Tuscany, do not have the same commercial and technical parameters necessary to produce ‘Pane Toscano’; this confirms the specific nature and influence of climatic conditions, as well as of genetic heritage. The rheological properties of the flour due to the climate are ideal for the proving of dough using sourdough starters produced and kept alive, from one baking session to the next, thanks to the production expertise passed on among the bakers in the area who are able to ascertain the exact dosage and production time required to achieve constant product quality.

‘Pane Toscano’ PDO is characterised by its shelf life, an indication of proper rising, which protects it against mould for a much longer period than other breads found on the market today. It is distinguished by its organoleptic qualities, particularly its aroma of roasted hazelnuts and the ‘neutral’, i.e. unsalted, flavour of its crumb, by its crunchy crust and its crumb’s irregular alveoli and white-to-ivory colour in the case of type 0 flour or uniform amber colour in the case of type 1 or type 2 flour. ‘Pane Toscano’ PDO is also distinguished by its high nutritional value and digestibility due to the use of a mixture of flours low in gluten and with the nutritional value of the wheatgerm (unlike today’s now-widespread practice of adding the wheatgerm during processing), and to the customary absence of salt in its ingredients.

The link between the geographical area and the quality and product characteristics of ‘Pane Toscano’ PDO is inherent in the long bread-making process, which allows the sourdough starter (in the absence of salt) to extract those components from the wheatgerm flour which, when the bread is baked, give the product its typical flavour, appearance and shelf life.

These characteristics derive from the age-old, typical bread-baking method employed in Tuscany which excludes the use of salt as an ingredient in the dough and requires a natural sourdough starter to help the dough to rise, the use of type 0, type 1 or type 2 soft wheat flour, containing wheatgerm, mainly obtained from selected varieties grown in Tuscany since the beginning of the 20th century.

The absence of salt in ‘Pane Toscano’ PDO appears to stem from a historical, typically Tuscan, dispute between the then rival cities of Florence and Pisa in the twelfth century.

The sourdough starter in particular must interact with flours that have the wheat quality characteristics listed in point 3.3 and that are produced in the area defined in point 4, i.e. low hardness, low W value and medium P/L value. These characteristics, which are statistically proven for the varieties grown in the area of ‘Pane Toscano’ PDO and not proven in neighbouring areas, are confirmed by a significant climatic specificity which influences the genotype thanks to the temperatures and in particular the minimum temperatures.

Most of the soft wheat varieties grown today for producing this bread are derived from parent varieties selected in the Valdichiana valley in the early 20th century, which then became established in the ‘Pane Toscano’ PDO production area.

Another factor is that the bakers continue to use flour produced without removing the wheatgerm, which clearly helps to make bread of higher nutritional value.

The presence of the wheatgerm, today seemingly entirely absent in the flours used to make generic bread, not only positively influences the nutritional characteristics of ‘Pane Toscano’ PDO but also the rising process due to wheatgerm being rich in enzymes which help break down the compound sugars. A further factor characterising this production is the expert use of sourdough starters produced by bakers who, simply by mixing water and the same flour used to make ‘Pane Toscano’ PDO, create the conditions for lactic-acid fermentation, resulting in compounds which, during baking, give the bread its typical aroma and flavour. Finally, not using salt not only influences the fermentation processes, but also clearly characterises the flavour of this typical Tuscan food product.

In this context where there is an interplay of various factors, the most important of all is the bakers’ craft which, thanks to their thorough knowledge of the quality parameters to be respected and of the preparation of the sourdough starter, and thanks to their close attention during the rising and baking phases, results in a highly typical product with a high nutritional value.

Reference to publication of the product specification

https://www.masaf.gov.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeAttachment.php/L/IT/D/1%252F7%252F2%252FD.7d47f4b4ad65bb04e5b6/P/BLOB%3AID%3D3347/E/pdf?mode=download

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(1)  Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/27 of 30 October 2024 supplementing Regulation (EU) 2024/1143 of the European Parliament and of the Council with rules concerning the registration and the protection of geographical indications, traditional specialities guaranteed and optional quality terms and repealing Delegated Regulation (EU) No 664/2014 (OJ L, 2025/27, 15.1.2025, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2025/27/oj).