COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DECISION
of 23 January 2019
on the publication in the
Official Journal of the European Union
of the application for registration of a name referred to in Article 49 of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council
‘Jambon du Kintoa’ (PDO)
(2019/C 36/07)
THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 November 2012 on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs (1), and in particular Article 50(2)(a) thereof,
Whereas:
(1) France has sent to the Commission an application for protection of the name ‘Jambon du Kintoa’ in accordance with Article 49(4) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.
(2) In accordance with Article 50 of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 the Commission has examined that application and concluded that it fulfils the conditions laid down in that Regulation.
(3) In order to allow for the submission of notices of opposition in accordance with Article 51 of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012, the single document and the reference to the publication of the product specification referred to in Article 50(2)(a) of that Regulation for the name ‘Jambon du Kintoa’ should be published in the
Official Journal of the European Union
,
HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:
Sole Article
The single document and the reference to the publication of the product specification referred to in Article 50(2)(a) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 for the name ‘Jambon du Kintoa’ (PDO) are contained in the Annex to this Decision.
In accordance with Article 51 of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012, the publication of this Decision shall confer the right to oppose to the registration of the name referred to in the first paragraph of this Article within three months from the date of publication of this Decision in the
Official Journal of the European Union.
Done at Brussels, 23 January 2019.
For the Commission
Phil HOGAN
Member of the Commission
(1)
OJ L 343, 14.12.2012, p. 1
.
ANNEX
SINGLE DOCUMENT
‘JAMBON DU KINTOA’
EU No: PDO-FR-02166 — 31.8.2016
PDO ( X ) PGI ( )
1.
Name(s)
‘Jambon du Kintoa’
2.
Member State or Third Country
France
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 the product to which the name in (1) applies
‘Jambon du Kintoa’ is a dry-cured ham produced according to a lengthy process lasting at least 16 months, including at least 10 months of maturing under natural conditions.
It can be marketed whole, boneless and whole, boneless and quartered, or sliced.
When marketed whole, with the bone and the entire trotter, ‘Jambon du Kintoa’ has an oval shape, and the length between the head of the femur and the tip of the leg must exceed 10 cm. It is presented with a specific ‘Kintoa’ label attached to the head of the femur. The ham is rubbed in powder of the PDO pepper ‘Piment d’Espelette’ before being packaged.
‘Jambon du Kintoa’ has the following characteristics: salt (NaCl) content less than or equal to 7 % in the semimembranosus muscle; maximum moisture content of 60 %; intramuscular-lipid content greater than or equal to 4 % in the semimembranosus muscle; a pronounced red-meat colour; a white-to-pinkish fat colour; a marbled appearance; a smooth, tender texture of the fat; an intensity and high level of aromatic complexity (butter, undergrowth, preserved meat, dried fruits including hazelnut, jam); and an intense taste that lingers on the palate.
3.3.
Feed (for products of animal origin only) and raw materials (for processed products only)
‘Jambon du Kintoa’ comes from Basque Black Pied pigs bred for their meat, which are slaughtered at between 12 and 24 months of age. The cold carcass weight must be at least 100 kg. The thickness of the back fat (excluding rind) between the 4th and the 5th vertebra must be greater than or equal to 25 mm.
The raw material is a fresh ham from a carcass bearing the ‘Kintoa’ designation of origin that has not been frozen or deep-frozen and has no defects, such as petechiae, fractures, abscesses, bruising or split rind; it has been trimmed into an elongated shape (Iberian cut) that includes the entire trotter, and weighs at least 10 kg.
It is dry-salted with salt of the PGI ‘Sel de Salies-de-Béarn’. Before being packaged, the inner side of the dry-cured ham is rubbed in powder of the PDO pepper ‘Piment d’Espelette’/‘Piment d’Espelette — Ezpeletako Biperra’.
Throughout the pigs’ life, only plants, by-products and complementary feed derived from non-transgenic products are authorised in the animal feed. The planting of transgenic crops is prohibited on all areas of farms producing animals intended for the production of ‘Jambon du Kintoa’.
During the suckling period and until the age of 8 weeks, the total amount of animal feed that may be given cannot exceed 5 kg gross weight per piglet. Processed animal proteins are not permitted.
After weaning, only the following plant-based raw materials are permitted:
— wheat grains, maize, barley, rye, triticale, sorghum, oats; and products derived from them;
— pea seeds, field beans, lupins, vetches, flax; and products derived from them;
— soya beans, sunflower seeds, rapeseed; and their cakes and oils;
— cane and beet molasses;
— lucerne, beet pulp.
The distribution of whey is allowed, except during the two months prior to the pigs being slaughtered. The whey must come from the geographical area.
Animal feed must be sourced primarily from the defined geographical area. Certain feed is allowed to come from outside the geographical area due to the very undulating topography that is unsuited to intensive farming and crops.
For an estimated total consumption of 848 kg of dry matter per pig from birth to slaughter, the share of feed originating in the geographical area may be estimated to be at least 69,5 %.
In the period between weaning and until the age of 3 months, the feed must contain at least 20 % (in dry matter) cereals from the geographical area; the total amount of feed given may not exceed 60 kg gross weight per piglet.
For pigs over the age of 3 months, the feed must comprise at least 70 % (in dry matter) raw material from the geographical area; the feed formula must contain at least 60 % (in dry matter) cereals and their derived products. The maximum daily amount of feed that may be given is 3,2 kg gross weight per pig between 3 and 8 months, and 2,7 kg gross weight per pig from 8 months on.
3.4.
Specific steps in production that must take place in the identified geographical area
All steps in the production of ‘Jambon du Kintoa’, from the birth of the pigs to maturing, take place in the geographical area.
3.5.
Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc. of the product the registered name refers to
— 3.6.
Specific rules concerning labelling of the product the registered name refers to
Irrespective of the regulatory references applicable to the labelling of prepared meat products, labels must include the following references:
— the date of salting;
— the name ‘Jambon du Kintoa’ in characters at least the same size as the largest characters on the label;
— the ‘Kintoa’ colour logo made available by the group, comprising the word ‘Kintoa’, surmounted by the crown of the kings of Navarre and a drawing of the head of a Basque-breed pig;
— on each ham sold whole, a unique number identifying it.
4.
Concise definition of the geographical area
The geographical area comprises the following cantons, municipalities or parts of municipalities:
— Municipalities included in their entirety:
Department of Landes: Hastingues, Oeyregave, Sorde-L’Abbaye
Department of Pyrénées-Atlantiques:
Abitain, Ance, Andrein, Anglet, Angous, Aramits, Araujuzon, Araux, Aren, Arette, Athos-Aspis, Audaux, Auterrive, Autevielle-Saint-Martin-Bideren, Barraute-Camu, Bastanès, Biarritz, Bugnein, Burgaronne, Carresse-Cassaber, Castagnède, Castetbon, Castetnau-Camblong, Charre, Dognen, Escos, Espiute, Esquiule, Féas, Géronce, Gestas, Geüs-d’Oloron, Guinarthe-Parenties, Gurs, Issor, Jasses, Lanne-en-Barétous, L’Hôpital-d’Orion, Laàs, Labastide-Villefranche, Lay-Lamidou, Léren, Lourdios-Ichère, Méritein, Montfort, Moumour, Nabas, Narp, Navarrenx, Oraàs, Orin, Orion, Orriule, Ossenx, Poey-d’Oloron, Préchacq-Josbaig, Préchacq-Navarrenx, Rivehaute, Saint-Dos, Saint-Gladie-Arrive-Munein, Saint-Goin, Saint-Pé-de-Léren, Salies-de-Béarn, Sarrance, Saucède, Sauveterre-de-Béarn, Sus, Susmiou, Tabaille-Usquain, Verdets, Viellenave-de-Navarrenx.
The municipalities of the following cantons: Baïgura et Mondarrain; Hendaye-Côte Basque-Sud; Montagne Basque (except for Alçay-Alçabéhéty-Sunharette, Haux, Lacarry-Arhan-Charritte-de-Haut, Larrau, Mendive, and Sainte-Engrâce, in parts); Nive-Adour; Pays de Bidache, Amikuze et Ostibarre; Saint-Jean-de-Luz.
— Municipalities included in part:
Department of Landes: Cauneille, Peyrehorade.
Department of Pyrénées-Atlantiques: Arette, Bayonne, Lanne-en-Barétous, Oloron-Sainte-Marie.
5.
Link with the geographical area
The geographical area of ‘Jambon du Kintoa’ extends over the entire French Basque country and some adjacent cantons and/or municipalities on the border to the east and the north. This area is the western part of the pre-Pyrenees, which borders it to the south. It is bounded to the west by the Atlantic Ocean.
Its oceanic climate is characterised by high levels of rainfall (1 200 to 2 000 mm/year), which is evenly spread throughout the year, without any dry period. It is also characterised by mild temperatures, even in winter. The southerly Föhn-type wind intermittently brings intense heat and dry air throughout the year — especially in spring and autumn — alternating with wetter and cooler periods tied to the passing of oceanic disturbances.
The dominant landscape is made up of cultivated areas and grasslands at the bottom of basins and in all the low-lying areas close to residential areas; a jumble of grasslands; heaths and woods over hillsides; and heaths and natural grassland on mountain and summit peaks.
The term ‘Kintoa’ originates in the levy for grazing pigs, commonly referred to as the ‘one-fifth levy’ [
droit de quinta
], imposed by the kings of Navarre from at least the 13th century on pigs that were herded in transhumance into the royal mountains of Navarre. The kings collected a tax on one pig out of every five, hence the name given to the levy.
‘Jambon du Kintoa’ comes from Basque Black Pied pigs, a Mediterranean-type breed also called the Iberian type. It has a slow rate of growth. It is incredibly hardy and able to cope with considerable variations in climate and feed, and is quickly able to build up its fat reserves when food is abundant.
The pigs spend at least their final seven months in a specific ranging area. This is where they put on their fat cover and intramuscular fat. The food they find in the ranging area is varied. Above all, it includes grass and herbaceous plants, as well as — disparately and less consistently — dried fruits (acorns, chestnuts, etc.), insects, worms, roots and other plants.
The pigs are slaughtered relatively old (at 12-24 months, compared to 5-6 months for industrial meat-producing pigs), having exercised their muscles considerably by the end of their lifetime.
The geographical area (especially Salies-de-Béarn) is notable for the production of salt, which is traditionally used for the salting of hams produced in the region. It is also where the powder of the pepper ‘Piment d’Espelette’/‘Piment d’Espelette — Ezpeletako Biperra’ is produced. This powder is traditionally used to cover the inner face of the ham that has had its coating removed at the end of the maturing phase.
It takes a long time — at least 16 months — to produce the ham. After a preliminary drying, the ham is coated in a lard-based fat mix. At least 6 months must pass from the week when the ham undergoes salting to the week when maturing begins. Production continues with at least 10 months of maturing in rooms connected to the outside through openings allowing air to circulate. These rooms are located on different sides of the building and have pre-defined minimum sizes. The openings allow the temperature and humidity conditions to change in line with the local climate.
When eaten, the ham has a smooth, tender texture of the fat, and aromas of butter, undergrowth, preserved meat, dried fruit (including hazelnut) and jam. It has an intense taste that lingers on the palate.
Causal link
In the mild and humid climate of the geographical area, the grass for grazing grows almost continuously, allowing the ranging area to provide the pigs with feed throughout their time outdoors, for at least 7 months. This feed may be supplemented by fruits under trees that are typical of the Basque natural environment (common oak, chestnut trees and beech).
The Basque Black Pied breed is adapted to grazing in this landscape because of its physical characteristics: the pig is hardy, well suited to roaming and makes very good use of the plants in the ranging area. This feed contribution from the ranging area varies naturally depending on the season. However, during the finishing period it accounts for some 50 % of the pigs’ daily intake. It contains antioxidants and aromatic compounds that go on to influence the ham’s organoleptic characteristics.
It has been shown that fatty tissue accumulates the compounds contained in the plants consumed. These substances have an effect on the oxidation kinetics of the fat, slowing down the onset of rancidity and enabling the ham to mature for longer, thereby affecting in a specific way the distribution of sapid and aromatic compounds. The longer the drying and maturing phase, the greater this effect will be, depending largely on the type of vegetation grazed.
The traditional methods for salting, drying and maturing the ham in the geographical area involve the use of a local salt, from Salies-de-Béarn, which has specific characteristics (rich in trace elements, large crystals, and so on) that are especially well suited to salting. ‘Piment d’Espelette’, which is used to cover the inner face of the ham, is particularly well suited, given the relatively low intensity of the spice.
The characteristics of the raw material produce a ham with intramuscular fat, which gives it its marbled appearance and smooth, tender texture.
The climate is exposed to ocean flux, characterised by high levels of rainfall spread evenly throughout the year and southerly Föhn-type winds, helping to provide the ham with its particular organoleptic characteristics. The lengthy period (at least 10 months) of maturing in a room open to the influence of the outdoor climate, with variations in temperature and humidity linked to the natural climatic cycles, allows the ham to express its potential to the full, affecting above all its aroma and taste.
Reference to publication of the product specification
(the second subparagraph of Article 6(1) of this Regulation)
https://www.inao.gouv.fr/fichier/PNOCDCJambonduKintoa2017QCOMUE.pdf
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