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

2010/C 184/09

This publication confers the right to object to the application in accordance with 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

‘MIELE DELLE DOLOMITI BELLUNESI’

EC No: IT-PDO-0005-0776-09.06.2009

PGI ( ) PDO ( X )

1.   Name:

‘Miele delle Dolomiti Bellunesi’

2.   Member State or Third Country:

Italy

3.   Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff:

3.1.   Type of product:

3.2.   Description of the product to which the ‘Miele delle Dolomiti Bellunesi’ designation applies:

‘Miele delle Dolomiti Bellunesi’ is produced from the nectar of flowers in the mountainous Belluno region by the local ecotype of ‘Apis mellifera’, which results from the natural cross-breeding of various honey bee subspecies, predominantly the Italian bee and the Carniolan honey bee; over time, it has adapted particularly well to the characteristics of the mountain environment of the Belluno region and can provide good yields of honey.

Depending on the various botanical species which flower in different phases during the production period and the consequent floral sources, a distinction is made between the following types of ‘Miele delle Dolomiti Bellunesi’: Millefiori (Wildflower), Acacia (Acacia), Tiglio (Lime), Castagno (Chestnut), Rododendro (Rhododendron) and Tarassaco (Dandelion).

A.   Chemico-physical characteristics

All types of ‘Miele delle Dolomiti Bellunesi’ must have the following chemico-physical characteristics:

HMF content (on release for consumption) < 10 mg per kg

The different types of ‘Miele delle Dolomiti Bellunesi’ must display the following chemico-physical characteristics:

B.   Pollen characteristics

The general pollen spectrum is typical of that of mountain flora. Nevertheless, depending on the floral source, the pollen spectra of the various types of ‘Miele delle Dolomiti Bellunesi’ must meet the following requirements:

C.   Organoleptic characteristics

Organoleptic characteristics depend on the floral source and thus differ for the various types of honey.

Millefiori (Wildflower) or multiflora (multiflower): pale yellow to amber colour, sweet taste, soft, with pronounced tendency to granulate.

Acacia (Acacia) or Robinia (False Acacia): pale to amber colour, translucent, delicate, very sweet taste, with scent reminiscent of acacia flowers, typically liquid.

Tiglio (Lime): variable colour, from yellow to light green, slightly bitter aftertaste, fresh, aromatic smell, creamy appearance, with late granulation.

Castagno (Chestnut): dark brown colour, limited sweetness, bitter, tannic taste, strong, aromatic smell, generally liquid.

Rododendro (Rhododendron): from practically colourless to white or light beige after granulation, delicate flavour, leafy and fruity aroma, liquid aspect, before turning creamy and then finely granulated.

Tarassaco (Dandelion): honey with yellow tinges, limited or normal sweetness, usually tart, slightly bitter and astringent.

3.3.   Raw materials:

Not applicable.

3.4.   Feed:

For any protein nutrition given to bee families, it is forbidden to use products containing pollen other than that of immediately local origin.

A commonly adopted practice involves harvesting pollen combs or just pollen by means of traps and drying it or storing it in a freezer during periods of high pollen production and then reusing it in periods when pollen is less readily available.

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

‘Miele delle Dolomiti Bellunesi’ is produced, handled and processed in the geographical area indicated in 4.

The honey is produced in fixed hives which are periodically moved within the mountain production zone; the honey is drawn directly from the honeycombs by means of a centrifuge.

Honey harvesting is always carried out in successive phases, in relation to the flowering periods of plants, in order to obtain a differentiated monofloral product.

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

Glass containers of 250 g, 500 g and 1 kg, with metal tops sealed by the label are used to pack ‘Miele delle Dolomiti Bellunesi’. Packaging of the honey in single-serving formats in glass, sachets, dishes or other containers in appropriate materials is also allowed.

3.7.   Specific rules concerning labelling:

The logo for ‘Miele delle Dolomiti Bellunesi DOP’ is made up of an irregular-shaped ring laid out as follows: in the upper part, written in white letters on a green band are the words ‘MIELE DELLE DOLOMITI BELLUNESI’; inside the ring are three irregular stripes of yellow, blue and green with a sketch of the three Lavaredo peaks rendered by drops of honey coming from a traditional honey dipper; at the bottom, ‘D.O.P.’ is written in yellow letters as shown in the illustration. The additional wording ‘prodotto della montagna’ (mountain product) may be added in accordance with national legislation.

4.   Concise definition of the geographical area:

The production area of ‘Miele delle Dolomiti Bellunesi’ PDO covers the whole territory of Belluno Province, which is entirely located in a mountainous area, surrounded on all sides by mountain ranges which naturally separate the production area from the neighbouring provinces and regions and from Austria to the North.

5.   Link with the geographical area:

5.1.   Specificity of the geographical area:

Environmental factors

The production area consists of a mountainous region, made up of valleys and high slopes with the characteristic soil, climate and ecological conditions of an Alpine area, with extensive woods and pastures.

Inside the production zone there are no major industrial installations, intensive agricultural activities or even significant transport routes, potential sources of pollution, including for bee products. These conditions make it possible to produce a clean, wholesome honey, untainted by heavy metals and environmental pollutants.

The climate and environmental conditions prevailing in the Belluno area, such as average temperatures and rainfall taken from the historical records, are very different from those in the surrounding lowland areas, and from the averages for the Veneto Region, and have a positive influence on nectar secretion, product quality and its shelf life.

Thanks to low temperatures and high rainfall, the Belluno region is pre-eminent for the extent of its meadows and pastures, which play a decisive role in supporting the area's very diverse Alpine flora, growing, for the most part on the dolostone, limestone substrata, and which comprises over 2 200 species (one-third of the plant species of the entire territory of Italy), enabling bees to choose the best plant sources from which to gather nectar and pollen.

The Belluno Dolomites achieved fame centuries ago for the floral wealth of their Alpine meadows and pastures; the extent and particular nature of that flora constitutes one of the main scientific reasons for the Community, national and regional recognition of the Belluno parks.

Of major importance among the high-growing trees are the woods of larch, beech, Scots pine and red spruce which typify the area. Along the bottom of rock faces lie dense forests of broadleaf trees and conifers and high-altitude meadows with a wealth of flora, including endemic species, such as rhododendrons, thistles, edelweiss and other mountain plants. In the valleys, the vascular plants of the Belluno area cover a significant variety comprising 1 400 entities, among which no small number warrant recording, as they are endemic, rare or of great importance for plant geography.

The mixed grassy and tree flora contains a broad range of species which are considered to be among the best in terms of beekeeping and pollen, such as the false acacia, the rhododendron, the dandelion, the lime, heather and clover, in addition to the long list of species entering into the composition of wildflower honey.

The presence in the area of nectar-producing species such as the chestnut (Castanea Sativa) and the thistle (Carduus sp) is also very important since nectar represents the food essential for the bees’ biological cycle. Graduate theses and research work show that plants grown high in the mountains produce more nectar than those growing in lowland locations.

Human factors

Beekeeping has always been a common activity in the Belluno mountains, even a very long time ago, when, with the use of rough skeps, honey harvesting demanded great skill on the part of producers in order to avoid destroying the whole colony of bees.

Even in more difficult times, beekeeping remained widely practised in the territory, with the predominant use of primitive hives. The innovative introduction of the Dadant hive facilitated honey production, but even now in the Belluno mountains beekeeping remains very much a cottage industry, demanding specific skills in positioning and regulating the hives, safeguarding and developing colonies, the means of harvesting and the choice of the period in order to differentiate between honey types of different floral sources, as well as storage techniques.

At present, most beekeepers operate in the Belluno and Feltrina valleys, in addition to which there are numerous high-altitude producers making honey which is particularly appreciated, such as rhododendron honey.

5.2.   Specificity of the product:

The monofloral honey types reflect the species of the area, which are considered to be among the best from a beekeeping standpoint in terms of pollen and nectar production, such as false acacia, rhododendron, dandelion, lime and chestnut, most of which only exist in mountain territories and for this reason make the ‘Miele delle Dolomiti Bellunesi’ appreciated. The Wildflower variety is produced using a wide variety of Alpine species, selected by the bees from among the more than 2 200 which characterise the Belluno mountains.

In addition to its ‘floral wealth’, the quality of ‘Miele delle Dolomiti Bellunesi’ is based on other fundamental factors, like its purity, wholesomeness and lengthy shelf life, which is also attested to by its low HMF content. These factors are attributable to the geographical area and the know-how of local producers.

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

The Alpine mountain environment, characterised by low temperatures, high rainfall and dolomitic soil which allow for the growth of a diverse range of alpine flora, comprising trees and grasses of great interest from a beekeeping standpoint, make the Belluno region an ideal area to produce honey of value from plant species which are only or predominantly present in an Alpine, mountain environment.

The low temperatures throughout the year, much lower than the regional or national averages, also have a positive influence on the quality of the honey and its shelf life, since they prevent any anomalous fermentation and make it possible to retain the organoleptic qualities of the product and its ingredients for longer.

Limited human pressure (in terms of inhabitants, industry and transport routes), the typical state of isolation of the mountain area and, above all, the skill of the producers in carrying out what very much remains a craft give rise to a purer, more wholesome product than would be the case in lowland areas.

Beekeeping, which has always been widespread in the Belluno area, in addition to supplementing the income of its inhabitants, historically provided a reserve of energy to be used as food over the months of winter isolation and a sweetener for culinary purposes in the preparation of various traditional local recipes. ‘Miele delle Dolomiti Bellunesi’ has been marketed under the name for over 35 years and, under the name, it has been entered in numerous local agricultural fairs and events in the mountains since the 1980s, as is demonstrated by the many diplomas, photos of producers at beekeeping gatherings and press articles from the 1980s. Photos from the same period attest to the reputation of the name ‘Miele delle Dolomiti Bellunesi’ under various brands and labels. ‘Miele delle Dolomiti Bellunesi’ has always been used in a great many typical dishes, as an ingredient in characteristic Cadore and Ampezzo desserts and bread, as well as in the typical honey liqueur and as an accompaniment to local cheeses. The product is now much sought after by consumers, particularly tourists, who recognised the peculiarities which set it apart and buy it during their holidays to eat it all year round, taking it back with them to all the other regions of Italy.

Reference to publication of the specification:

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

The Ministry launched the national objection procedure with the publication of the proposal for recognising ‘Miele delle Dolomiti Bellunesi’ as a protected designation of origin in the Official Gazette of the Italian Republic No 285 of 5 December 2008.

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

www.politicheagricole.it/DocumentiPubblicazioni/Search_Documenti_Elenco.htm?txtTipoDocumento=Disciplinare%20in%20esame%20UE&txtDocArgomento=Prodotti%20di%20Qualit%E0>Prodotti%20Dop,%20Igp%20e%20Stg

or by going directly to the home page of the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policy (www.politicheagricole.it) and clicking on ‘Prodotti di Qualità’ (on the left of the screen) and finally on ‘Disciplinari di Produzione all’esame dell’UE (Regulation (EC) No 510/2006)’.

(1)  OJ L 93, 31.3.2006, p. 12.