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

2009/C 130/09

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

SUMMARY

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006

‘PISTACCHIO VERDE DI BRONTE’

EC No: IT-PDO-0005-0305-07.08.2003

PDO ( X ) PGI ( )

This summary sets out the main elements of the product specification for information purposes.

1.   Responsible department in the Member State:

2.   Group:

3.   Type of product:

4.   Specification:

(summary of requirements under Article 4(2) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006)

4.1.   Name:

‘Pistacchio Verde di Bronte’

4.2.   Description:

The ‘Pistacchio Verde di Bronte’ PDO is reserved for the fruit, in shell, shelled or peeled, of plants of the botanical species Pistacia vera, cultivar Napoletana, also known as Bianca or Nostrale, grafted on to Pistacia terebinthus. Up to 5 % of plants of varieties and/or of rootstock other than P. terebinthus are allowed. That percentage refers to all the plants present in the grove. In any case, products from plants of other varieties not belonging to the Napoletana cultivar will not be certified.

When released for consumption, ‘Pistacchio Verde di Bronte’ PDO, in addition to meeting the common quality standards, must have the following physical and organoleptic qualities: colour of the cotyledons: intense green; ratio of chlorophyll a to chlorophyll b: between 1,3 and 1,5; strong, aromatic taste, with no hint of mould or foreign tastes; moisture content: between 4 % and 6 %; ratio of length to breadth of the kernel: between 1,5 and 1,9; the nut contains a high level of monounsaturated fats (predominantly oleic acid (72 %), followed by linoleic acid (15 %) and palmitic acid (10 %)).

4.3.   Geographical area:

‘Pistacchio Verde di Bronte’ is grown in the municipalities of Bronte, Adrano and Biancavilla in the Province of Catania at between 400 m and 900 m above sea level.

4.4.   Proof of origin:

Each stage in the production process is monitored, with all inputs and outputs being documented. Product traceability is guaranteed in this way, as well as by entering the cadastral parcels on which cultivation takes place (along with growers and packers) on lists managed by the inspection body and by declaring volumes produced to the inspection body. When growers register on the list, they are given a code that unambiguously identifies them and their pistachio groves. All legal and natural persons recorded in the registers are subject to checks carried out by the inspection body, as provided for in the product specification and the relevant inspection plan.

4.5.   Method of production:

Preparation of the land involves levelling the area concerned to facilitate the run-off of water, cultural operations and basal dressing. Groves can be either specialised (solely pistachio) or mixed-crop groves. Alongside the free-standing forms of plant cultivation (‘ceppaia’ (stump), ‘vaso libero’ (goblet-trained)), single-stem training systems are also allowed to facilitate harvesting and cultural operations. The groves are located on lava soil with a very thin layer of topsoil. On such a substrate, terebinth (Pistacia terebinthus) grows spontaneously and provides the main rootstock for the P. vera species. New specialised groves must use Pistacia terebinthus as their rootstock. Harvesting, depending on the production zone and weather conditions, takes place from the second 10 days of August to the first 10 days of October. Harvesting is carried out by hand. Within 24 hours of harvesting, the fruit must be husked mechanically to avoid browning and any contamination.

The in-shell product must then immediately be dried in direct sunlight or using some other drying system, maintaining the temperature of the product between 40 °C and 50 °C, until the residual moisture content of the nut is between 4 % and 6 %. The dried product must be placed in new jute, paper or polyethylene packaging, in dry and ventilated premises, avoiding contact with the floor and walls. The product can be stored for up to 24 months after harvesting. The pistachio may be shelled and/or peeled mechanically. The use of chemicals to conserve ‘Pistacchio Verde di Bronte’ PDO is strictly prohibited.

4.6.   Link:

The production area has volcanic soils and enjoys a semi-arid, subtropical Mediterranean climate, with long, dry summers, rains concentrated in the autumn and winter and significant changes in temperature between the day and night. These pedological and climatic factors, together with the use of terebinth (Pistacia terebinthus), introduced by man, give the fruit particular qualities (its intense green colour typical of the area, its elongated shape, its aromatic taste and its high monounsaturated fatty acid content) that are hard to achieve in other production areas or elsewhere in the Etna massif. This particular combination of pedological, climatic and human factors gives ‘Pistacchio Verde di Bronte’ PDO specific qualities that make this a unique product.

‘Pistacchio Verde di Bronte’ has been widely grown in Sicily since the period of Arab domination (AD 8th and 9th centuries). When the Roman Empire collapsed under the impact of the barbarian invasions, Sicily was conquered by Arabs (Berbers from Tunisia, Muslims, Negroes from Sudan), who described Sicily as the ‘Garden of Eden’. It was the Arabs who introduced, in addition to the cultivation of lemons, oranges, sugar cane, cotton, palms, papyrus and aubergines, that of pistachio. Still today, ‘Pistacchio Verde di Bronte’ is the ingredient that gives Sicilian desserts and confectionary their specific character, particularly those of the Catania area.

4.7.   Inspection body:

4.8.   Labelling:

The product is put up for sale in various forms of new packaging, in accordance with the legislation in force, within two years of harvesting.

‘Pistacchio Verde di Bronte’ may be released for consumption only in packaging carrying the logo of the protected destination of origin. Packaging must also bear, in clear, indelible characters, easily distinguishable from all other writing on the label, the words ‘Pistacchio Verde di Bronte’.

The packer's name, company name and address must also appear on the packaging, as well as the names of the holdings from which the fruit has come, if available, the original gross weight and the year of production. Indication of the product's week of harvest is optional. The logo of the PDO comprises the words ‘Denominazione d’Origine Protetta D.O.P.’, with an image of Mount Etna below, and a pistachio nut with the words ‘Pistacchio Verde di Bronte’ below.