Publication of an application pursuant to Article 6(2) of Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs

2012/C 294/10

This publication confers the right to object to the application pursuant to Article 7 of Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 (1). Statements of objection must reach the Commission within six months of the date of this publication.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006

‘TROTE DEL TRENTINO’

EC No: IT-PGI-0005-0965-17.02.2012

PGI ( X ) PDO ( )

1.   Name:

‘Trote del Trentino’

2.   Member State or Third Country:

Italy

3.   Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff:

3.1.   Type of product:

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

The protected geographical indication ‘Trote del Trentino’ is assigned to salmonid fish bred in the production area referred to in point 4 and belonging to the rainbow trout species — Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum). When released for consumption, they must have the following characteristics: a greenish back with a pink stripe on both sides; a whitish belly; black speckling on the body and the dorsal and tail fins. The condition factor must not exceed 1,25 for fish weighing up to 500 grams or 1,35 for fish weighing over 500 grams. The total fat content of the meat must not exceed 6 %. The meat is white or salmon pink, firm, tender and lean with a mellow taste of fish and a delicate smell of fresh water with no aftertaste of mud. Any off-flavours in the product must be limited, with a geosmin content below 0,9 μg/kg and the muscle firmness must be characterised by peak force levels under compression that are over or equal to 4 N.

3.3.   Raw materials (for processed products only):

—

3.4.   Feed (for products of animal origin only):

Feed rations must meet the requirements established by tradition, respecting faithful and consistent usage. For this reason, the fish feed used must not contain GMOs and must have the appropriate certification in line with the rules in force.

In order to enhance the typical quality of the ‘Trote del Trentino’ PGI meat, the following raw materials are permitted:

The composition of rations given must satisfy the fish’s needs during the various growth phases.

All additives for use in animal nutrition defined by the legislation in force are permitted. The salmon colour of the flesh must be obtained using mainly the astaxanthin carotenoid pigment and/or naturally-derived carotenoids.

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

The growth phases, which include the sac-fry, fingerlings and adult trout stages, and the slaughter process must take place within the area specified in point 4.

3.6.   Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc.:

The end product must be sold on polystyrene trays wrapped in film and/or in polystyrene boxes wrapped in film and/or in packets, packaged under vacuum and/or in a modified atmosphere. With regard to product typology, trout are sold as a fresh product: whole, gutted, filleted and/or sliced.

Those sold whole and/or gutted must weigh at least 200 g. Those sold filleted and/or sliced must weigh at least 90 g.

3.7.   Specific rules concerning labelling:

The expression ‘Indicazione Geografica Protetta’ (‘Protected Geographical Indication’) or the abbreviation ‘IGP’ (‘PGI’) must appear on every packet/box in distinct, indelible lettering, clearly distinguishable from any other text.

They must be translated into the language of the country where the product is marketed.

It is forbidden to add any description that is not expressly provided for.

Every packet/box must clearly display the following logo on the label or on the packaging. Alternatively, the logo may be printed in greyscale.

The European PGI symbol must also appear on every label and all packaging. The label or an appropriate marking must indicate the number or reference code for the producer and/or batch.

4.   Concise definition of the geographical area:

The production area of ‘Trote del Trentino’ PGI includes the whole Autonomous Province of Trento and the Bagolino municipality in the Province of Brescia. This area encompasses the main rivers of Trento, and their tributaries’ side-valleys.

5.   Link with the geographical area:

5.1.   Specificity of the geographical area:

The production area was formed by the overlapping of multiple periods of glacial and fluvial erosion. From a morphological point of view, the land is largely mountainous and characterised by valleys, cut to varying depths into the geological substrate, which constitute all the catchment areas in the identified geographical area. The climate in the ‘Trote del Trentino’ production area is typical of an alpine area, with frequent rainfall, often snow during the winter months and cool temperatures even in the summer. The area has perpetual snow and ice from which all the water used for trout production comes. The climatic and hydro-geological characteristics of the defined area, which are not transferable or imitable, give the ‘Trote del Trentino’ the characteristics that make it stand out. The chemical composition of Trento spring water in terms of trace elements (magnesium, sodium, potassium) has values below the European average, making the water highly suitable for trout development. The streams which feed the trout-farming plants in Trento are of high biological quality with EBI (Extended Biotic Index) values above eight, corresponding to Class I or Class II.

5.2.   Specificity of the product:

The application for recognition of the ‘Trote del Trentino’ PGI is justified by the fact that the product in question differs from other products in the same category on account of its very low condition factor and reduced fat content. Furthermore, the meat is firm, tender and lean with a mellow taste of fish and a delicate smell of fresh water with no aftertaste of mud, which is often typical of farmed trout.

5.3.   Causal link between the geographical area and the quality or characteristics of the product (for PDO) or a specific quality, the reputation or other characteristic of the product (for PGI):

The particular qualities of ‘Trota del Trentino’ derive especially from the water used, which is plentiful thanks to the permanent presence of snow and ice in the area, highly oxygenated, has a good chemical, physical and biological composition and a low temperature which is generally under 10 °C between November and March.

The cold-waters are low in nutrients; this leads to slow growth which, although reducing production, enhances the quality of the meat by engendering a low condition factor and reduced fat content. Thanks to the plentiful supply of water and the sloping terrain, the majority of trout-farming in Trento makes use of the differences in level between one basin and another which allow the water to be naturally re-oxygenated. The good water quality prevents the proliferation of algae and undesirable micro-organisms and associated metabolites which are responsible for unpleasant tastes, not least that of mud, caused by too much geosmin.

The climatic conditions of the area together with the human input in terms of care and management of the fish farms link the ‘Trote del Trentino’ firmly to the geographical production area.

The farming of ‘Trote del Trentino’ is age-old and rooted in a long tradition which has become established over time. The practice of fish farming in basins dates back to the 19th century with the construction of an artificial fish-farming plant in Torbole in 1879 which was intended to spread the practice of fish-farming and repopulate public waters with trout sac-fry. The first private fish-farms were set up in Predazzo in 1891, in Giustino in 1902 and in Tione in 1926, followed by many more after the Second World War. Over the years, these fish farms have each maintained their own separate breeding facilities, and have periodically introduced new strains from other farms or from the wild, thus transmitting the specificities of the farmed product to the later generations of trout.

This tradition was consolidated with the founding, in 1975, of the Associazione dei Troticoltori Trentini (Trento Trout Farmers Association), which had such an important role in re-launching trout-farming in the production area that the ‘Trote del Trentino’ name surged into household and commercial parlance, as can be demonstrated by bills, labels and publicity material.

Reference to publication of the specification:

(Article 5(7) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006)

The Ministry has launched the national objection procedure with the publication of the proposal for recognising ‘Trote del Trentino’ as a protected geographical indication in the Official Gazette of the Italian Republic No 302 of 29 December 2011.

The full text of the product specification is available on the following web site:

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

or alternatively:

by going directly to the home page of the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policy (http://www.politicheagricole.it) and clicking on ‘Qualità e sicurezza’ (in the top right-hand corner of the screen) and then on ‘Disciplinari di Produzione all’esame dell’UE’.

(1)  OJ L 93, 31.3.2006, p. 12.