Publication of an 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

(2016/C 160/04)

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

SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘SAUCISSON SEC D’AUVERGNE’/‘SAUCISSE SÈCHE D’AUVERGNE’

EU No: PGI-FR-02094 — 23.11.2015

PDO ( ) PGI ( X )

1.   Name(s)

‘Saucisson sec d’Auvergne’/‘Saucisse sèche d’Auvergne’

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

‘Saucisson sec d’Auvergne’/‘Saucisse sèche d’Auvergne’ is a raw meat product that has been fermented and then dried. It consists of a mixture of chopped, salted pig meat seasoned with garlic and other spices. It is neither smoked nor coated with herbs or spices.

‘Saucisson sec d’Auvergne’/‘Saucisse sèche d’Auvergne’ is sold in one of three forms:

The shape and weight of the product and the manufacturing and drying period depend on the dimensions of the pieces of casing used (diameter, length and thickness of the casing). These aspects are set out in the tables below.

—   ‘Saucisson sec d’Auvergne’:

—   ‘Saucisse sèche d’Auvergne’

‘Saucisson sec d’Auvergne’/‘Saucisse sèche d’Auvergne’ meets the following physico-chemical criteria:

‘Saucisson sec d’Auvergne’/‘Saucisse sèche d’Auvergne’ has a soft to dry texture and an odour and a taste that have hints of garlic. Slices are red to dark red in colour, with a cohesive composition and little fat, which is evenly distributed.

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

The fattening feed given to the meat-type pigs contains at least 60 % cereals, oilseeds and derived products and has a linoleic acid content of less than 1,7 % (in the dry matter).

The meat (lean and fat) used in ‘Saucisson sec d’Auvergne’/‘Saucisse sèche d’Auvergne’ comes exclusively from meat-type pigs and sows (cull sows), with the exception of uncastrated males, young males that have not yet reached sexual maturity, males castrated of a single testicle, males with cryptorchidism and hermaphrodites. All the animals are identified and traced.

The only pieces of meat allowed in the production of ‘Saucisson sec d’Auvergne’/‘Saucisse sèche d’Auvergne’ are the loin, shoulder, shank, belly and back fat. They are used fresh. Deferment by freezing of the lean and fatty parts of meat-type-pig carcasses is authorised solely for producers buying carcasses and cutting them themselves, under certain conditions laid down in the specification.

At least 70 % of the mixture of ‘Saucisson sec d’Auvergne’/‘Saucisse sèche d’Auvergne’ must include meat from sows with a carcass weight exceeding 120 kg (warm weight) and/or from meat-type pigs with a carcass weight exceeding 93 kg (warm weight).

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

The steps in the production of ‘Saucisson sec d’Auvergne’/‘Saucisse sèche d’Auvergne’, from the preparation of the mixture to the end of the drying of the products, must 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

—

4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

The geographical area extends over the territory of the following municipalities:

The departments of Cantal, Haute-Loire and Puy-de-Dôme : all municipalities.

Department of Allier : Cantons de Bellerive-sur-Allier, Commentry, Cusset, Gannat, Lapalisse, Vichy-1 and Vichy-2.

The municipalities of Archignat, Arpheuilles-Saint-Priest, Avrilly, Bert, Besson, Billy, Bizeneuille, Le Bouchaud, Bransat, Bresnay, Le Brethon, Buxières-les-Mines, La Celle, Cérilly, Cesset, Chambérat, La Chapelaude, Châtel-de-Neuvre, Châtelperron, Châtillon, Chavroches, Chazemais, Cindré, Courçais, Cressanges, Désertines, Deux-Chaises, Le Donjon, Durdat-Larequille, Gipcy, Givarlais, Huriel, Jaligny-sur-Besbre, Laféline, Lamaids, Langy, Lavault-Sainte-Anne, Lenax, Liernolles, Lignerolles, Loddes, Loriges, Louchy-Montfand, Louroux-Bourbonnais, Louroux-Hodement, Magnet, Maillet, Marcillat-en-Combraille, Mazirat, Meillard, Meillers, Mesples, Monétay-sur-Allier, Montaiguët-en-Forez, Montaigu-le-Blin, Montcombroux-les-Mines, Le Montet, Montord, Néris-les-Bains, Neuilly-en-Donjon, Noyant-d’Allier, La Petite-Marche, Prémilhat, Quinssaines, Rocles, Ronnet, Saint-Aubin-le-Monial, Saint-Caprais, Saint-Désiré, Saint-Didier-en-Donjon, Saint-Éloy-d’Allier, Saint-Fargeol, Saint-Félix, Saint-Genest, Saint-Gérand-le-Puy, Saint-Hilaire, Saint-Léon, Saint-Marcel-en-Marcillat, Saint-Martinien, Saint-Palais, Saint-Sauvier, Saint-Sornin, Sainte-Thérence, Sanssat, Saulcet, Seuillet, Sorbier, Souvigny, Teillet-Argenty, Terjat, Le Theil, Theneuille, Thionne, Treban, Treignat, Treteau, Trézelles, Tronget, Varennes-sur-Tèche, Verneuil-en-Bourbonnais, Vichy, Le Vilhain, Villebret, Viplaix, Vitray and Ygrande.

Department of Corrèze : the municipalities of Chaveroche, Mestes, Lignareix, Saint-Angel, Saint-Étienne-aux-Clos, Saint-Exupéry-les-Roches, Saint-Fréjoux, Saint-Pardoux-le-Vieux, Ussel and Valiergues.

5.   Link with the geographical area

Specificity of the geographical area

The demarcation of the ‘Saucisson sec d’Auvergne’/‘Saucisse sèche d’Auvergne’ geographical area is based on an idea of continuity between the places where traditional practices are used, themselves historically influenced by the natural conditions that are conducive to meat drying, and the locations of meat-curing businesses.

The geographical area is situated on a massif with an average altitude close to 1 000 m, comprising high plateaus and volcanic summits interspersed with many valleys. The area has a continental climate that is influenced by the altitude. The wind conditions contribute to a ventilating effect; this encourages the water loss that helps cured meat products to dry. Indeed, given that the rugged terrain runs transversal to the humid air flows coming from the west, strong Föhn effects influence the geographical area, particularly further down the massif.

Until the mid-20th century, there was a well-established domestic and farming tradition of rearing pigs and producing pork meat, mainly dry-cured products, as described in numerous literary works. Production traditionally took place during the winter, because the climatic conditions in that season made it possible to ensure a good mastery of salting and drying operations. The use of spices and garlic complemented the action of salting by improving the effectiveness of conservation and contributed to the development of the taste of Auvergne sausages.

Following the agricultural revolution in the 19th century, dry-curing techniques were slowly taken up and developed by small-scale businesses and then on an industrial scale. More than 15 of the companies currently found inside the geographical area began operations before the Second World War. From 1830 onwards, people began leaving Auvergne for Paris, where they worked mainly in brasseries and restaurants. This helped dry-cured meats produced in the geographical area reach new customers and enhanced their reputation.

Nowadays, dry-cured meats account for 78 % of prepared meat products made in the geographical area, whereas this figure stands at 16 % for the whole of France.

Specificity of the product

‘Saucisson sec d’Auvergne’/‘Saucisse sèche d’Auvergne’ is distinguished by the composition of its mixture, which is reflected in the organoleptic and physico-chemical characteristics of the finished product.

Firstly, at least 70 % of the mixture consists of meat from sows with a carcass weight exceeding 120 kg and/or from meat-type pigs with a carcass weight exceeding 93 kg. This meat gives ‘Saucisson sec d’Auvergne’/‘Saucisse sèche d’Auvergne’ its characteristic red to dark red colour.

The mixture is then flavoured with garlic at a dose two to ten times higher than that found typically in dry sausage. Therefore ‘Saucisson sec d’Auvergne’/‘Saucisse sèche d’Auvergne’ has a characteristic garlicky odour and taste.

The mixture of ‘Saucisson sec d’Auvergne’/‘Saucisse sèche d’Auvergne’ is also characterised by an abundance of lean meat, as shown by a fat content (for an MFFB of 77 %) equal to or less than 20 % of the finished product and in slices containing little visible fat. This important share of lean meat results in a collagen/protide ratio equal to or less than 13 % of the finished product.

Causal link

The link between the geographical area and ‘Saucisson sec d’Auvergne’/‘Saucisse sèche d’Auvergne’ is based on the reputation and specific characteristics of the products.

Farms began producing ‘Saucisson sec d’Auvergne’/‘Saucisse sèche d’Auvergne’ due to a range of favourable factors inherent to the geographical area. These included natural factors, with a winter climate and a terrain that help the products to dry (cold average temperatures enabling the product to be preserved and Föhn-type wind conditions encouraging drying), and human factors, with pig rearing developing strongly, thus providing the raw material.

Consequently the dark colour of the ‘Saucisson sec d’Auvergne’/‘Saucisse sèche d’Auvergne’ is a continuation of the traditional local practices, which favoured the use of mature animals for this type of processing (adult pigs, cull sows).

The systematic and significant incorporation of garlic into the mixture is another characteristic attributable to the geographical area. It is linked to the long-standing production of garlic on the Limagne plain in the department of Puy-de-Dôme.

These age-old practices were at the origin of economic, handicraft and later industrial activities, which are currently located in the geographical area. The reputation of ‘Saucisson sec d’Auvergne’/‘Saucisse sèche d’Auvergne’ developed owing, in particular, to the promotion carried out since the mid-19th century by the many Auvergne natives who moved to the Paris region and beyond and worked in brasseries and restaurants. Starting in the 1970s, the specialisation and growth of production have sealed that reputation, which is based on the specific characteristics of the products stemming from traditional production practices.

The ‘Saucisson sec d’Auvergne’/‘Saucisse sèche d’Auvergne’ is mentioned as a speciality of the geographical area in several literary works starting at the beginning of the 20th century. Some of those references are listed here:

It could also be mentioned that in the eleventh album of the Asterix the Gaul comic book series called ‘Le bouclier arverne’ (‘Asterix and the Chieftain’s Shield’), which was published in 1968, the authors René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo depict ‘Saucisson sec d’Auvergne’/‘Saucisse sèche d’Auvergne’ hanging from the ceiling of an Auvergne inn next to strings of garlic.

Its reputation remains strong, as demonstrated by the numerous references to the product, in particular on the internet, on online stores operating outside the geographical area and on cookery and food websites.

In addition, ‘Saucisson sec d’Auvergne’/‘Saucisse sèche d’Auvergne’ are regularly awarded prizes, in particular at two major French competitions, the Concours général agricole de Paris and the Concours international du meilleur saucisson Saucicreor de Nouan-le-Fuzelier.

Reference to publication of the specification

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

https://info.agriculture.gouv.fr/gedei/site/bo-agri/document_administratif-611a1c66-eab0-4909-aa11-6c1e461a6701/telechargement

(1)  OJ L 343, 14.12.2012, p. 1.

(*)  Duration of the process, from the mincing of the mixture to when the product comes out of the drying room for packaging.

(**)  Duration of the process, from the mincing of the mixture to when the product comes out of the drying room for packaging.