Publication of an amendment application 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

(2018/C 46/08)

This publication confers the right to oppose the amendment application, pursuant to Article 51 of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council (1).

APPLICATION FOR APPROVAL OF NON-MINOR AMENDMENTS TO THE PRODUCT SPECIFICATION FOR A PROTECTED DESIGNATION OF ORIGIN/PROTECTED GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATION

Application for approval of an amendment in accordance with the first subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012

‘TIROLER SPECK’

EU No: PGI-AT-02162 — 8.8.2016

PDO ( ) PGI ( X )

1.   Applicant group and legitimate interest

The original application for registration was submitted by members of the applicant group. The current applicant protects the interests of the producers of Tiroler Speck PGI, and therefore has a legitimate interest in submitting changes to the specification.

2.   Member State or Third Country

Austria

3.   Heading in the product specification affected by the amendment(s)

4.   Type of amendment(s)

5.   Amendment(s)

The submitted changes to the product specification are necessary due to the experience gained in dealing with the practical aspects of the protected term since it was protected. These changes include a detailed description of all the important production and marketing requirements, including the production steps, which absolutely must take place in the geographical area concerned, and serve to guarantee the quality of Tiroler Speck PGI.

The former product specification consisting of several separate documents and annexes, was merged into a single document, revised and updated in order to provide a clearer description of the requirements, in particular regarding the production method and the proof of origin, thus helping to preserve the quality of Tiroler Speck PGI.

1.   Product description:

Point 5b of the product specification reads as follows:

‘The raw material for Tiroler Speck PGI is obtained from the following boneless trimmed cuts of pigmeat:

Tiroler Speck is mildly salted and then treated and stored in a special seasoning corresponding to the local customs and tradition, in separate rooms, at a temperature between 18 °C and 20 °C.

The outer colour is a smoky brown, while the cut surface is reddish with a white layer of fat. It has a mild, aromatic smell with recognisable smoky notes. The taste is spicy, characterised by special spice mixtures and a special smoking treatment, with a mild salty taste.

Physico-chemical and microbiological properties:

and is amended as follows:

Justification:

The typical organoleptic features of the product are described more precisely and in greater detail. The water/protein ratio is now correctly identified as ‘max. 1,7’ instead of ‘maximum 1,5’, as was previously stated. This was a typing error in the original specification. The microbiological properties have been deleted altogether as, based on the legal requirements in place, they are superfluous. The wording, part of which comes from the specification and part of which has been added, has been made more precise in order to clarify and improve the completeness of the product description, thereby providing the inspection body with more precise and reliable product parameters with which to ensure the quality of the product.

The cutting and slicing of Tiroler Speck has always taken place exclusively in the defined area of production. It is therefore explained in the product description at what point Tiroler Speck PGI is in its final form; namely, when it is vacuum-packed or packaged in a controlled atmosphere, either unsliced, in sections or in slices.

2.   Proof of origin:

As the specification did not previously contain any reference to proof of origin, it was deemed appropriate to include information on the traceability of the product under point 4.4 of the product specification. It now contains provisions for ensuring traceability. The label of every unit of Tiroler Speck PGI produced must feature a holding number and a batch identifier in the form of a batch number or date, so that every batch can be conclusively linked to a place of production. Every producer who wants to market Speck under the name Tiroler Speck must be included in a list of producers, which is maintained by the applicant group. This list is available at www.tirolerspeck.info This list contains all holdings that produce and package Tiroler Speck PGI in accordance with the provisions of this specification, along with the following details: holding number, company name and address. If a company's holding occupies multiple locations, each performing individual stages of the production of Tiroler Speck PGI, or multiple postal addresses in the same district, these can be included in the list of producers as a group of holdings.

The previous observations regarding point 5d, which were included in this point at the time the indication of origin in question was recognised, have now been moved to point 4.6 ‘Link with the geographical area’.

3.   Method of production:

Point 5e of the product specification reads as follows:

‘When processing the parts listed under point 5b, the following criteria must be complied with:

It is amended as follows:

Justification:

Amendments were made to the production process with the aim of ensuring the unmistakeable quality of Tiroler Speck, which is based in particular on the producers' knowledge of the traditional production method. The wording of the text which already appeared in the original specification has been made more precise and now provides a detailed description of this traditional production method. In particular, a more precise definition of the processing method has been provided by stating that immediate slicing and packaging of the Speck after it is produced has a significant impact on the properties of the product. The inclusion of the provision that the Speck must be cut into pieces or slices and packaged in the defined geographical area immediately after the last production step (air-drying) is intended to ensure that the quality of Tiroler Speck PGI is preserved.

The individual amendments relate to the following points:

—   Know-how — knowledge of production:

As the existing specification did not contain any key observations on the traditional knowledge of the producers, the specification has been made more specific in that regard, and descriptions have been provided of the specialists' credentials. The title of ‘Tiroler Speckmeister’, which has become well-established in the geographical area, is included in the specification as a term for skilled personnel who possess the know-how required to produce the product. There is also a description of the ongoing activities aimed at passing on the tradition so as to ensure quality, whereby the loss or dilution of know-how can be efficiently halted and traditional knowledge of the product maintained.

—   Meat as a raw material:

The cuts of meat to be used have been moved from the original point 5b ‘Description’ and point D ‘Cutting’ of Annex 3 (Conditions for pig meat production and requirements for fresh meat — meat cuts) to the section on the method of production under its own point, ‘Meat as a raw material’.

The ‘Testing scheme for sensory analysis of the final product’ contained in Annex 4 to the specification has been deleted, as the method of production is presented in a more detailed and comprehensive way and quality assessment in now described under point 4.7.

—   Production:

The production of Tiroler Speck is described in detailed steps, from salting or curing the cuts of meat to the maturing stage during air-drying, citing the technical parameters to be observed in order to ensure quality.

In order to make clear the importance of constant supervision of the production process for the quality of the product, the specification expressly states that the production process must take place entirely within a production holding or a group of holdings (see the definition of a ‘group of holdings’ under point 2 of the amendment application or under point 4.4 of the product specification), so that, in the event of a discernible lack of quality, a rapid and timely adjustment of the control parameters (such as temperature, humidity or the duration of each step in the process) can be made for the batches still in production.

However, in order to promote and develop knowledge of Tiroler Speck PGI, ‘joint production’ has also been included, in which individual steps or parts of the production process, including slicing and packaging, choosing the packaging material and the associated calculation of the product's shelf life, are carried out by multiple holdings registered for the production of Tiroler Speck PGI under point 4.4 of the product specification, and do not have to take place within one production holding or group of holdings. The effects on the quality of the product associated with this method of production can therefore be compared and an expert assessment can be carried out. The insights gained in this way form part of the ongoing training for Tiroler Speckmeister on preserving and developing knowledge of Tiroler Speck PGI for the purposes of quality assurance.

—   Slicing and packaging:

Restricting the slicing and packaging of Tiroler Speck to the defined geographical area is objectively justified, especially given that qualitative criteria justify this restriction, and that it is in line with the bona fide and established customs of local producers. The cutting and slicing process must be restricted in terms of where it takes place, as this has an impact on the properties of the product.

During the trimming process and the creation of the cuts of meat, as well as when Tiroler Speck PGI is sliced to make it ready for consumption, the internal properties of the Speck are revealed. These production steps undergo an expert assessment under the supervision of a Tiroler Speckmeister in order to assess compliance with the requirements of point 4.2 of the product specification and guarantee the product's flawless quality. This therefore ensures that the product lives up to its perception of quality and its reputation. If clear defects become apparent during slicing (such as putrefaction, colour defects or the undesirable formation of a dry edge), immediate steps will be taken, under the supervision of the Tiroler Speckmeister, to adjust the control parameters (such as temperature, humidity or the duration of each step in the process) for the range of batches or units still in production, so as to preserve the quality of the product and avoid the development of defects in further batches. To enable this quality feedback to happen promptly, the activities for the production of packaged units of Tiroler Speck PGI are performed exclusively within production holdings or groups of holdings, with the exception of batches made jointly in order to improve quality, which may be produced by multiple holdings together (joint production).

Once production of unsliced Tiroler Speck is complete, the product is susceptible to further drying out or microbiological spoilage due to mould growth. For this reason, it is necessary to package it at the place of production before distribution. If, due to specific arrangements, the Speck requires a period of storage after drying and before slicing, an initial packaging stage will take place, either in vacuum-packaging or in a controlled atmosphere, to avoid further loss of quality. It can then immediately either be cut into pieces or removed from the rind, trimmed and cut into slices or packaged ‘kitchen-ready’, and placed in its final packaging, either in a vacuum or in a controlled atmosphere.

Along with the aforementioned cutting and slicing, the packaging process has always taken place exclusively within the defined geographical area so as to ensure an expert assessment of the internal texture as well as positive quality feedback under the supervision of a Tiroler Speckmeister, in order to maintain a high level of quality.

As an exemption from the requirement that cutting take place under the supervision of a Tiroler Speckmeister, Speck labelled as ‘Tiroler Speck PGI’ can be sold unsliced to establishments within the food retail sector as long as it is sliced in the presence of the consumer, provided that this share does not exceed 10 % of the corresponding day's batch, and that, when checked as part of the slicing process (into sections, slices, cubes, etc.), the remaining amount does not show any signs that the batch contains defects such as to suggest that the Speck to be sold unsliced is defective.

This exemption was introduced so that packaged unsliced Tiroler Speck could be supplied to those customer sectors (the food retail sector and the mass catering sector) which do not have an on-site specialist such as a Tiroler Speckmeister to slice the Tiroler Speck. So as to be able to use the proof of origin described in point 4.4 to guarantee the quality of Tiroler Speck PGI supplied unsliced, a maximum limit of 10 % of that day's batch was imposed. Packaged Tiroler Speck PGI can be supplied to the two aforementioned customer sectors up to that limit, as only very small quantities of Tiroler Speck PGI are supplied unsliced and quality control is always carried out on a production batch, allowing control-relevant conclusions to be drawn for the whole unit or the whole batch.

This ensures that on-site checks are carried out by the producer, which guarantee the quality and authenticity of the product. If Tiroler Speck PGI were sliced and packaged outside the area of production, it would be transported to any number of processing facilities, and would be sold a number of times in the process. The inability to monitor these commercial channels could make effective checks and traceability impossible, as, without an identification number entered in the register of producers (a holding number and a batch identifier in the form of a batch number or a date, by which the traceability of the packaged products can be checked for all market sectors and consumers, and every batch can be conclusively linked to a place of production), the packaged Tiroler Speck could not be considered authentic. Returning this step to the area of production as provided for, together with the corresponding on-site checks, is considered to be a necessary and proportionate measure to ensure the quality of the finished Tiroler Speck PGI.

Since the original registration of the indication of origin, Tiroler Speck PGI has primarily been distributed already cut or sliced by the producer. As this was not expressly stated in the original specification, the rules on the slicing and packaging process have now been specifically included to provide greater clarification.

4.   Link with the geographical area:

Article 5f of the product specification contains the following wording:

It is amended as follows:

Justification:

The specification has been adapted to the requirements of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 in that the historical observations, such as documentary evidence and old traditions regarding Tiroler Speck, which were originally described in the section on proof of origin, have been moved to point 4.6 ‘Link with the geographical area’.

The effects of climatic and human factors in the geographical area have been comprehensively described. In doing so, a detailed description has been provided of the specific expertise of the regional producers, which up to now was only touched upon in the specification. This expertise includes the traditional knowledge of special storage techniques in which a special season- and weather-dependent production method was developed for Tiroler Speck PGI, and their advanced skills regarding production techniques and control of the maturing process — skills which are crucial in bringing out its organoleptic properties.

Additionally, those organoleptic properties that make the product special and inform its quality and appearance have been highlighted.

5.   Labelling:

The original version of point 5h reads as follows:

This is replaced with the following:

‘On every unit which is packaged and ready for sale, the holding number, a batch identifier in the form of a batch number or date, and the words “Tiroler Speck PGI” must appear in this form in a prominent place and in a legible and indelible manner. In addition, the cut of meat used and/or the producer's region within the defined geographical area can also appear.

Examples of labelling:

An indication in the common language of the marketing area may be used, provided that the German term “Tiroler Speck PGI” is also given.

Names, business names and private labels may also be displayed, provided that the resulting packaging is not misleading.’

Justification:

Detailed and comprehensive rules on labelling help to improve transparency and the information given to consumers. The use of additional information has also been regulated in order to indicate more precisely the cut of meat used and/or the producer's region within the defined geographical area, such that the regionality of the product is emphasised and a more detailed description of the product is provided by including additional information on the cuts of meat used. This provides a more accurate description of the product and more targeted information for consumers.

6.   Other:

6.1.   Responsible department in the Member State:

6.2.   Organisation:

Composition: Producer

Justification:

The name of the applicant group has changed since the term was protected and has been updated along with the amended details of the competent authority.

6.3.   Inspection body:

The section containing the inspection body's contact details has been amended due to a switch to a private inspection body. Inspections are now performed by the following inspection body:

The inspection tasks have been more precisely defined and regulated such that the inspections include taking samples from the market and/or from the holding, as well as an on-site inspection of the holding to check the product characteristics and the records referred to in the proof of origin. The most important points of the inspection are thereby defined in the specification.

6.4.   National requirements:

The section ‘National requirements’ is deleted altogether.

6.5.   Editorial amendments:

SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘TIROLER SPECK’

EU No: PGI-AT-02162 — 8.8.2016

PDO ( ) PGI ( X )

1.   Name(s)

‘Tiroler Speck’

2.   Member State or Third Country

Austria

3.   Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1.   Type of product

Class 1.2. Meat products (cooked, salted, smoked, etc.)

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

Tiroler Speck PGI is a traditionally artisanal cured pork product made from boneless leg, loin, belly, shoulder or neck, which is then dry-salted, seasoned with a particular blend of spices including at least juniper, black pepper and garlic, cured, cold smoked according to a region-specific process using at least 50 % beech or ash wood, and air dried. The outer colour is dark brown, and the cut surface is reddish with a white layer of fat. The smell is intensely and aromatically spicy with clear mature notes and a smoky fragrance. The taste is slightly spicy, passing from clear and recognisable smoky notes to a full meaty flavour and rounded off with a recognisable saltiness.

Physico-chemical and microbiological properties:

Tiroler Speck is made exclusively in the defined geographical area and is available, in its final form, either vacuum-packed or packaged in a controlled atmosphere, and either unsliced, in sections or in slices.

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

The cuts of meat used for Tiroler Speck PGI originate in the European Union and comprise the leg with rind, with or without topside, loin with rind, belly with rind (with or without soft bones), shoulder with rind, and neck with rind, all with bones removed and cut in accordance with good manufacturing practice.

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

All production steps (from salting to the final product) take place in the defined geographical area.

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

Tiroler Speck PGI must be sliced by a specialist trained in the production of Tiroler Speck PGI, known as a Tiroler Speckmeister, or be sliced under his or her supervision. During slicing, each finished batch must be given a sensory check to ensure there are no unwanted deviations in colour or taste. If there are defects (such as putrefaction, colour defects or the undesirable formation of a dry edge) immediate steps must be taken to adjust the control parameters (such as temperature, humidity or the duration of each step in the process) for the batches or units still in production. To enable this quality assurance to happen promptly, the activities for the production of packaged units of Tiroler Speck PGI are performed exclusively within the production holding or the group of holdings (i.e. a business holding with multiple sites, each performing individual stages of the production of Tiroler Speck PGI, or multiple postal addresses in the same district).

In order to avoid any detrimental effects from oxidation or drying out, or from microbiological spoilage due to mould growth, and thereby to avoid a loss of quality, the time between slicing and packaging it must be kept short, which is why packaging of Tiroler Speck PGI either unsliced, in sections or in slices, vacuum-packed or in a controlled atmosphere, must take place within the defined geographical area. However, if, due to specific arrangements, a period of storage is required before slicing begins, this must take place only in vacuum packaging or in a controlled atmosphere (initial packaging) to avoid loss of quality from further drying out or from microbiological spoilage due to mould growth. Tiroler Speck PGI is then either cut into pieces for domestic use or removed from the rind, prepared and cut into slices or made ‘kitchen-ready’, and either vacuum-packed or packaged in a controlled atmosphere (final packaging).

Tiroler Speck PGI can be sold unsliced to establishments within the food retail sector, provided that it is sliced in the presence of the purchaser and that this share of unsliced Tiroler Speck PGI does not exceed 10 % of the corresponding day's batch, and that, when checked as part of the slicing process (into sections, slices, cubes, etc.), the remaining amount does not show any signs that the batch contains defects such as to suggest that the Speck to be sold unsliced is defective.

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

On every unit which is packaged and ready for sale, the holding number, a batch identifier in the form of a batch number or date, and the words ‘Tiroler Speck PGI’ must be featured in a prominent place and in a legible and indelible manner. The cut of meat used and/or the producer's region within the defined geographical area can also appear.

An indication in the common language of the marketing area may be used, provided that the German term ‘Tiroler Speck PGI’ is also given.

Names, business names and private labels may also be displayed, provided that the resulting packaging is not misleading.

4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

Province of Tyrol

5.   Link with the geographical area

In Tyrol's mountainous landscape, which is characterised by farmland, the production of Speck as a means to preserve fresh meat has been developed and refined across many generations. Knowledge of the special recipe of spices and the traditional production method for Tiroler Speck was passed down by each generation of farmers to their children. This tradition, handed down from person to person, developed into a prevailing public conception for today's commercial Tiroler Speck production. The drying process in the clean Tyrolean mountain air, the gentle smoking process using specific spice mixes, and the use of beech or ash wood to create the smoke — all of which are necessary components of the production process — constitute a special, region-specific procedure which lends Tiroler Speck its characteristic dark brown appearance. With the exception of the ‘Schopfspeck’ [neck Speck], the cut surfaces exhibit a white fat cover and the meat is a bold red colour, which darkens towards the meat side. The unmistakeable characteristics of this product are its aromatically spicy aroma with recognisable mature notes and its lightly spiced flavour with smoky and salty notes, all the while underpinned by the aroma of the pork. Within this broader picture, regional variations and subtle changes to the organoleptic properties are common, depending on the cultural peculiarities that have taken root in the corresponding regions and valleys of the defined geographical area. Accordingly, certain aspects of the product's typical nature, such as the taste profile or the hints of smoked wood, take on particular regional characteristics without influencing or altering the overall identity of Tiroler Speck PGI.

The traditional production method that has developed in the geographical area is based on the expertise of the producers, which has been passed down over the centuries.

The knowledge and artisanal tradition of the Tiroler Speckmeister ensure that the high quality of the product is preserved. The Tiroler Speckmeister's centuries of practical experience regarding the effects that the raw materials and climatic conditions have on the quality of the product (including knowledge of disruptive influencing factors, the causes of abnormalities, the constantly changing properties of the raw materials and environmental factors and the reciprocal effects of the production parameters) play an essential role in achieving the high standard of quality of the final product. The duration of the air-drying process is therefore measured by the Tiroler Speckmeister based on the current climatic conditions in the region and the size of the cut of meat. This is to ensure a careful drying process and a product of unimpaired quality with all its characteristic features (dark brown exterior colour, medium-firm to firm texture, juniper flavour with recognisable salty notes and a smoky fragrance).

The supervision of the production process by the Tiroler Speckmeister, who receives constant further specialist training, prevents any detrimental effects on the product and any loss of quality.

Reference to publication of the product specification

(Article 6(1), second subparagraph, of the Regulation)

https://www.patentamt.at/herkunftsangaben/tirolerspeck/

(1)  OJ L 343, 14.12.2012, p. 1.