Publication of an application for registration of a name pursuant to Article 50(2)(a) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs

(2022/C 229/05)

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

‘VACA GALLEGA – BUEY GALLEGO’

EU No: PGI-ES-02308 – 27.4.2017

PDO ( ) PGI (X)

1.   Name

‘Vaca Gallega – Buey Gallego’

2.   Member State or Third Country

Spain

3.   Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1.   Type of product

Class 1.1. Fresh meat and offal

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

Fresh meat from Galician cows and steers of the Galician blond, Galician brown (Cachena, Caldelana, Frieiresa, Limiana and Vianesa), Asturiana de los Valles, Limousin, Blonde d’Aquitaine, Friesian, and Brown Alpine breeds, whether pure-bred or crosses between them.

A distinction is made between the following types of animal on the basis of their sex, age and the system of production:

a)

Cows: females that have calved at least once before slaughter. Their meat is red to cherry-red in colour, and marbled with thin streaks. The fat is creamy-white to yellowy-white in colour, with a firm texture and fibres that are firm to the touch. — Carcass conformation: E, U, R and O (except O-). Where the carcasses are from cattle of the Galician brown breed, the conformation will not apply. — Degree of fat cover: 5, 4 and 3.

b)

Steers: males that are castrated before they are 1 year old and are more than 48 months old at slaughter. Their meat is red to purple-red in colour, with a pronounced marbling. The fat is pearly-white to yellow, with a firm texture and fibres that are firm to the touch. — Carcass conformation: E, U and R. — Degree of fat cover: 5 and 4.

‘Vaca Gallega – Buey Gallego’ meat has a smell of animal fat because of its fat cover (the average percentage of intramuscular fat in the carcasses is greater than 5,6 %); it is tender and succulent in the mouth with a marked and long-lasting meaty flavour and a slightly acidic aftertaste.

The carcasses, quarters, loin and the other cuts intended for filleting and for sale to the consumer fresh and by the cut must be presented chilled. They will lose the protection of the PGI if they undergo freezing.

The word ‘selección’ may be used to label meat covered by the PGI from carcasses of both ‘Vaca Gallega’ and ‘Buey Gallego’ that are notable for the amount of marbling and the orangey-yellow colour of their covering fat and meet the following requirements:

—	Carcass conformation: E, U and R+.

—	Degree of fat cover: 5 and 4+.

3.3.   Feed (for products of animal origin only)

During their productive lives, the feed of the cows and steers is based on grazing, fresh fodder (grass and cereals) and conserved fodder (grass silage, maize silage and hay), supplemented with grain, potatoes, turnips, straw and compound feed.

The mild Atlantic climate favours the abundant and early harvest of high energy and protein-quality fodder, ensuring the animals’ supply of feed. Account is also taken of the fact that the average annual stocking density must not exceed 2 LUs per hectare of utilised agricultural area (UAA).

The majority of the fodder used must come from the holding itself and at least 80 % of it must come from the geographical area covered by the PGI. The species found in the Galician meadows comprise mainly grasses (fescue, bent grass, meadow grasses, ray-grasses and cocksfoot) and, to a lesser extent, legumes (clover and bird’s-foot trefoil). The energy input of the feed is supplemented by mature and immature maize silage and cereal meal.

During the finishing phase the animals’ diet may be supplemented with compound feed, up to a maximum of 1 kg of dry matter per day and an average live weight of 100 kg during that phase. Such feed must be made from raw materials of plant origin. It must contain at least 80 % cereals and cereal derivatives, legumes and oilseeds. The use of products that could interfere with the normal rate of growth of the cows and steers, as well as the use of recycled animal by-products, is expressly prohibited.

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

The birth, rearing, fattening and slaughter of the cows and steers and the cutting of the carcasses must take place in the defined geographical area.

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

The product may be aged, filleted, packaged and labelled in meat processing plants registered with the Regulatory Board or in establishments that have already signed a collaboration agreement with the Regulatory Board covering the control, labelling and marketing of the protected product.

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

All carcasses, quarters, cuts and portions must bear the registered name ‘Vaca Gallega – Buey Gallego’ and the following PGI logo:

The words ‘Vaca Gallega’ or ‘Buey Gallego’ (depending on the type of meat) must appear on each label in the same visual field as the registered name and the PGI logo, as shown below:

4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

The geographical area covered by the protected geographical indication ‘Vaca Gallega – Buey Gallego’ is the whole of the Autonomous Community of Galicia.

5.   Link with the geographical area

The link between the geographical area and ‘Vaca Gallega – Buey Gallego’ meat is founded on the specific characteristics of the product and is strengthened by its reputation.

Physical characteristics and natural factors in the geographical area

The rearing and fattening of cows and steers suitable for the production of ‘Vaca Gallega – Buey Gallego’ are historically linked to the specific geographical environment of Galicia, in particular because of its soil and climatic conditions for forage production.

The Galician landscape is dominated by rolling hills and low mountains which are rarely higher than 800 m, mixed in with sheltered valleys, which make year-round grazing possible. These are irrigated by a large network of rivers providing water for irrigation and for the cows and steers to drink. The water is relatively high in sodium and chlorides, but low in calcium, magnesium and silicon.

The soils lie mainly on granitic rocks, schists and shale, characterised by their acidity and high organic-matter content. The climate is temperate with a strong ocean influence, and is marked by mild temperatures (weighted average greater than 13 oC) and abundant precipitation (over 1 100 mm/year).

These environmental conditions have produced a very varied flora, consisting mainly of hemicryptophytes, with a predominance of locally adapted acidophilic species. Of particular note are the natural meadow species, especially grasses (mainly fescue, bent grass, meadow grasses, rye-grasses and cocksfoot) and also legumes (clover and bird’s-foot trefoil), with many ecotypes and varieties with an indigenous genetic base. They flourish in the area and are valued for having adapted to it.

These natural conditions promote forage production and allow the cows and steers to be fed, for the most part, on the resources of the holding itself.

Historical and human factors

The rearing of cows and steers in Galicia dates back to the prehistoric era. From the 12th century onwards, a model of production developed in which cows and steers were gradually incorporated into the operation of family farms. Its importance has been evident since the 18th century, when cows and steers worked in the fields and at the end of their lives were fattened for meat. Between the 16th and 20th centuries, one third of Spanish cattle were reared in Galicia.

In the mid 20th century, the hardships of the post-war period led families to continue with traditional production practices as a means of survival, which meant that the key element in the quality of this product was preserved, namely a particular method of fattening, using local resources. Livestock rearing remains founded on small family farms which maintain the symbiosis between livestock, land and people and are committed to the feeding and careful management practices passed down through the generations.

In summary, historians have revealed the secret of these cows and steers: small producers and small-sized herds, animals that work in the fields – but not to excess – and, in stalls at the end of their working lives, are carefully fattened on fresh meadow grass and other feed. This fattening method, which combines care of the cows and steers with moderate exercise and which gradually became widespread across the whole region, with evidence of it going back centuries, improves the final quality of the meat and helps to distinguish it. Its reputation was such that as early as in the 18th and 19th centuries many experts, such as Martín Sarmiento, N. Casas and R. Jordana y Morera, presented Galicia and its livestock farmers as an example for the rest of Spain: small holdings where agriculture and livestock rearing are combined to create wealth, populate the land and produce the kingdom’s best livestock and meat.

The most common system of production is semi-extensive because of its compatibility with the Galician terrain and the degree of fragmentation and small-scale nature of the farms. The cows and steers usually graze during the day and are kept in stables at night, which is when they are given additional feed.

A finishing period for the cows and steers of at least 6 months before slaughter is needed in order to complete their fattening. This is why, in keeping with Galician tradition, the animals are kept in stables – or their movements in the field are at least limited – before slaughter.

Specific characteristics of the product

The average intramuscular fat percentage of ‘Vaca Gallega – Buey Gallego’ carcasses is above 5,6 %, which is significantly higher than the average values of other cow and steer carcasses. This is considered a positive factor that is key to the sensory quality of the meat (its taste, tenderness, succulence and palatability).

‘Vaca Gallega – Buey Gallego’ meat has a good lipid profile, characterised by its high relative monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acid content. Moreover, the n-6/n-3 fatty acid ratio is excellent as it is on average below 2,05.

Causal link between the geographical area, human factors and the specific characteristics of the product

Meat production methods in Galicia revolve around a mixed system in which grazing alternates with feeding in stalls. The holdings make use of their own feed resources and harvest surpluses, producing marbled meat that stands out for its characteristics and sensory quality.

The feed comprises fodder, principally very productive grasses and legumes whose ecotypes and varieties are valued for their adaptation to the local environment. These, together with the minimum finishing period of 6 months during which the energy input of the feed of the cows and steers is supplemented by mature and immature maize silage, cereal meal and also compound feed, means that ‘Vaca Gallega – Buey Gallego’ carcasses contain the above percentage of intramuscular fat, which is higher than the average values of other carcasses.

The usual custom of letting the cattle graze, the feed comprising fodder of which at least 80 % is produced in Galicia, where native acidophilic grass species predominate, and the chemical composition of the region’s water give ‘Vaca Gallega – Buey Gallego’ carcasses a good lipid profile, with a preponderance of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids relative to saturated fatty acids. These factors also give the meat a smell of animal fat, a long-lasting meaty flavour and a slightly acidic aftertaste, which are typical of the protected product.

The link between the geographical area and the characteristics of the product is established in the Report certifying the link between the geographical area and the quality of Galician cow and steer meat, drawn up by the Fundación Centro Tecnolóxico da Carne (11.4.2016).

Reputation

‘Vaca Gallega – Buey Gallego’ meat is appreciated by consumers and frequently referred to in culinary texts from the 19th and 20th centuries. In 1878 Museros y Rovira stated: ‘Its meat is lean and has an exquisite flavour because of the feed it has been given.’ In 1894 Ángel Muro, the foremost gourmet in Spanish culinary history, described it thus: ‘Good quality beef from cow or steer, with a rich, dark-red colour, and veins like marble.’

For many experts, this meat is one of a select group of meats considered among the best in the world, both in delicatessen butchers’ and in the haute cuisine sector in many countries. (On his Internet: www.stephanedecotterd.com chef Stéphane Décotterd noted ‘Le bœuf de Galice, la meilleure viande du monde?’ [‘Galician beef: the best meat in the world?’], published on 11.2.2017, and in El Mundo journalist Manuel Darriba wrote an article entitled ‘El buey gallego. 1.600 kilos de la mejor carne del mundo’ [‘The Galician steer: 1 600 kilos of the best meat in the world’], published on 8.11.2009.) ‘Vaca Gallega – Buey Gallego’ meat is a famous and renowned product, as shown by the fact that it can be found in specialist butchers’ shops, on menus in high-end restaurants and in dishes prepared by well-known chefs.

In the national and international media there are numerous references, such as: journalist Carlos Herrera in XLSemanal: ‘...when the Iñaki bar in Balmaseda tossed a piece on their grill, the heavens literally opened. It was a real piece of Galician beef ...’ (8.4.2018); journalist Marie-Claire Digby in The Irish Times: ‘The best piece of beef chef Gareth Smith has ever eaten was from one of those Galician cows ...’ (2.12.2016). The meat has also been viewed favourably by many food critics (Mike Gibson, Killian Fox, Jay Rayner, Lydia Itoi, Jeffrey Steingarten, Jacob Richler, Janet Mendel, etc.), bloggers and opinion formers specialising in beef from cows and steers.

Reference to publication of the product specification

https://mediorural.xunta.gal/sites/default/files/produtos/en-tramitacion/Pliego-de-condiciones-IGP-Vaca-Gallega-Buey-Gallego-febreiro-2022.pdf

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(1)  OJ L 343, 14.12.2012, p. 1.