European Certificates of Origin

The sausage gets its individual character when it is supported by the name of the region it has originally come from. Throughout Europe there is a huge assortment of great foods. When a product acquires a reputation extending beyond national borders, it can face competition from other products which may pass themselves off as the genuine article and take the same name.

Our hats go off to the French who invented the idea in the 1930’s to protect their regional wines. The system used in France from the early part of the twentieth century is known as the Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC). Items that meet geographical origin and quality standards may be endorsed with a government-issued stamp which acts as an official certification of the origins and standards of the product to the consumer. In 1992, the European Union created the following systems to promote and protect food products:

This system is similar to the French Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) system, the Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) used in Italy, and the Denominación de Origen system used in Spain. The law (enforced within the EU and being gradually expanded internationally via bilateral agreements of the EU with non-EU countries) ensures that only products genuinely originating in that region are allowed in commerce as such. The purpose of the law is to protect the reputation of the regional foods and eliminate the unfair competition and misleading of consumers by non-genuine products, which may be of inferior quality or of different flavor.

These laws protect the names of wines, cheeses, hams, sausages, olives, beers, and even regional breads, fruits, and vegetables. As such, foods such as Gorgonzola, Parmigiano Reggiano, Asiago cheese, Camembert de Normandie and Champagne can only be labelled as such if they come from the designated region. To qualify as Roquefort, for example, cheese must be made from the milk of a certain breed of sheep, and matured in the natural caves near the town of Roquefort in the Aveyron region of France where it is infected with the spores of a fungus (Penicillium roqueforti) that grows in those caves. Fresh meat and meat based products (cooked, salted, smoked, etc.) are also covered by the law and many countries have already filed their products with the European Commission.

European Certificates of Origin don’t come easy and only a few countries were able to obtain them. Countries which were granted most Certificates of Origin for Meat Products and Sausages are: Portugal, Italy, Spain, France, and Germany. It shall be noted that countries that have joined the European Union at later dates still have products pending approval.

Any product that bears a certificate is certified as being unique and of the highest quality. It can be said that those certified products represent the best traditionally made products that the world has to offer. At the time of this writing (June 2010) the following countries received registrations for their meat products:

Austria

Tiroler Speck PGI 13/06/1997

Gailtaler Speck PGI 11/07/2002

Belgium

Jambon d’Ardenne PGI 21/06/1996

France

Canard â foie gras du Sud-Quest PGI 27/06/2000

Jambon sec etnoix de jambon sec des Ardennes PGI 26/02/2002

Jambon de Bayonne PGI 07/10/1998

Boudin blanc de Rethel PGI 26/02/2002

Germany

Thüringer Leberwurst PGI 18/12/2003

Thüringer Rostbratwurst PGI 18/12/2003

Thüringer Rotwurst PGI 18/12/2003

Schwarzwälder Schinken PGI 24/01/1997

Nürnberger Bratwürste; Nürnberger Rostbratwürste PGI 16/07/2003

Greußener Salami PGI 09/04/1998

Ammerländer Schinken; Amerländer Knochenschinken PGI 24/01/1997

Ammerländer Dielenrauchschinken; Ammerländer Katenschinken PGI 24/02/1997

Hungary

Szegedl szalámi; Szegedl téliszalámi PDO 15/12/2007

Budapesti téliszalámi PGI 21/04/2009

Italy

Prosciutto di S. Danielle PDO 21/06/1996

Salame di Varzi PDO 21/06/1996

Soprèssa Vicentina PDO 19/03/2003

Valle d’Aosta Lard d’Arnad PDO 02/07/1996

Valle d’Aosta Jambon de Bosses PDO 02/07/1996

Soppressata di Calambria PDO 21/01/1998

Salciccia di Calambria PDO 21/01/1998

Salamini italiani alla cacciatora PDO 08/09/2001

Salame Piacentino PDO 02/07/1996

Salame Brianza PDO 21/06/1996

Prosciutto Veneto Berico-Euganeo PDO 21/06/1996

Prosciutto Toscano PDO 02/07/1996

Prosciutto di Parma PDO 05/02/2008

Prosciutto di Modena PDO 21/06/1996

Prosciutto di Carpegna PDO 02/07/1996

Pancetta Placentina PDO 02/07/1996

Pancetta di Calabria PDO 21/01/1998

Culatello di Zibello PDO 02/07/1996

Coppa Placentina PDO 02/07/1996

Capocollo di Calambria PDO 21/01/1998

Ciauscolo PGI 11/08/2009

Speck dell’Alto Adige PGI 13/06/1997

Zampone Modena PGI 19/03/1999

Salame S.Angelo PGI 26/09/2008

Salame d’oca di Mortara PGI 25/06/2004

Salame Cremona PGI 23/11/2007

Prosciutto di Norcia PGI 13/06/1997

Lardo di Colonnata PGI 27/10/2004

Cotechino Modena PGI 19/03/1999

Breasola della Valtellina PGI 02/07/1996

Ireland

Timoleague Brown Pudding PGI 07/11/1000

Luxembourg

Salaisons fumées, marque nationale grand-duche de Luxembourg PGI 23/11/1996

Portugal

Presunto de Alentejo, Paleta de Alentejo PDO 26/09/2008

Presunto de Barrancos PDO 21/06/1996

Salpicão de Vinhais PGI 19/06/1998

Salpicão de Barroso-Montalegre PGI 16/02/2007

Presunto de Vinhais/Presunto Bisaro de Vinhais PGI 17/07/2008

Linquiça de Portalegre PGI 27/09/1997

Linquiça de Baixo Alentejo; Chouriço de carne de Baixo Alentejo PGI 16/02/2007

Chouriço Mouro de Portalegre PGI 27/08/1997

Chouriço de Portalegre PGI 27/09/1997

Chouriça de carne de Vinhais; Linguiça de Vinhais PGI 19/06/1998

Chouriço de Carne de Estremoz e Borba PGI 09/07/2004

Chouriça de Carne de Barroso-Montalegre PGI 16/02/2007

Chouriço de Abóbora de Barroso-Maontalegre PGI 16/02/2007

Chouriço azedo de Vinhais PGI 26/09/2008

Butelo de Vinhais; Bucho de Vinhais; Chouriço de Ossos de Vinhais PGI 26/07/2008

Chouriça doce de Vinhais PGI 26/07/2008

Sangueira de Barroso-Montalegre PGI 16/02/2007

Portugal Presunto de Camp Maior e Elvas; Paleta de Campo Maior e Elvas PGI 26/09/2008

Presunto de Santana de Serra; Paleta de Santana de Serra PGI 26/09/2008

Presunto de Barroso PGI 13/11/1996

Palo de Beja PGI 16/02/2007

Painho de Portalegre PGI 27/09/1997

Paia de Toucinho de Estremoz e Borba PGI 09/07/2004

Paia de Lombo de Estremoz e Borba PGI 09/07/2004

Paia de Estremoz e Borba PGI 09/07/2004

Morcela de Estremoz e Borba PGI 09/07/2004

Morcela de Cozer de Portalegre PGI 27/09/1997

Morcela de Assar de Portalegre PGI 27/08/1997

Lombo Enguitado de Portalegre PGI 27/09/1997

Lombo Branco de Portalegre PGI 27/09/1997

Farinheira de Estremoz e Borba PGI 21/08/2004

Cacholeira Branca de Portalegre PGI 27/09/1997

Alheira de Vinhais PGI 17/07/2008

Alheira de Barroso-Montalegere PGI 16/02/2007

Spain

Jamón de Huelva PDO 27/01/1998

Jamón de Teruel PDO 21/06/1996

Jamón Serrano TSG 13/11/1999

Guijuelo PDO 21/06/1996

Dehesa de Extremadura PDO 21/06/1996

Lacón Gallego PGI 08/05/2001

Salchichón de Vic; Longanissa de Vic PGI 29/12/2001

Jamón de Trevélez PGI 15/11/2005

Cecina de León PGI 21/06/1996

Sobrasada de Mallorca PGI 21/06/1996

Botilo del Bierzo PGI 10/10/2001

United Kingdom

Melton Mowbray Pork Pie PGI 30/06/2009

The products which were granted certification can be searched by the name or country of origin. There are details about the product and a brief description of its manufacturing process.

The complete list can be obtained from the European Commision/Agriculture & Rural Development:

http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/quality/schemes/index_en.htm