The province of Almería will soon have a new agri-food quality mention. The Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) published at the end of January the application for inclusion of the Guaranteed Traditional Specialty (GTS) ‘Dried Octopus from Adra’ in the EU register of Protected Designations of Origin (PDO) and Protected Geographical Indications (PGI), marking progress in the procedures.
Following the analysis by the European Commission, the three-month period for submitting objections to the inclusion of this GTS in the European inventory began in February. Therefore, it is expected that these procedures will definitively conclude in May, led by the Regional Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Rural Development to obtain European endorsement for the excellence of this product.
With this Guaranteed Traditional Specialty, Almería will become a production area for food and beverages covered by a total of eleven denominations. Specifically, at the European level, one Protected Geographical Indication for hams and cured meats (‘Serón Ham’); five for wine (‘Desert of Almería’, ‘Láujar-Alpujarra’, ‘North of Almería’, ‘Andarax Riverbank’ and ‘Sierra de las Estancias and Los Filabres’); one for vegetables (‘La Cañada Tomato’); two for preserved fish (‘Andalusian Mackerel’ and ‘Andalusian Mackerel’) and one for meat (‘Segureño Lamb’). In the latter case, the production area for the covered foods includes regions of Almería, Granada, and Jaén; and the fishery PGIs encompass products from the entire Andalusian coast.
European endorsement
At the regional level, the number of quality mentions recognized by the European Union amounts to 66 denominations comprising Protected Designations of Origin, Protected Geographical Indications, and Guaranteed Traditional Specialties that protect foods produced in Andalusia. Notably, extra virgin olive oil stands out, with a total of 13 mentions including 12 Protected Designations of Origin -PDO- (‘Lucena Olive Oil’, ‘Antequera’, ‘Baena’, ‘Estepa’, ‘Mountains of Granada’, ‘Montoro-Adamuz’, ‘Western Granada’, ‘Priego de Córdoba’, ‘Sierra de Cádiz’, ‘Sierra de Cazorla’, ‘Sierra de Segura’ and ‘Sierra Mágina’) and one PGI ‘Jaén Olive Oil’.
Furthermore, the autonomous community has mentions covering table olives (PDO ‘Aloreña Olive from Málaga’); fruits and vegetables (PDO ‘Cherimoya from the Tropical Coast of Granada-Málaga’, PDO ‘Raisins from Málaga’, PGI ‘Asparagus from Huétor-Tájar’ and PGI ‘La Cañada Tomato’); sweets (PDO ‘Granada Honey’, ‘Mantecados from Estepa’, ‘Polvorones from Estepa’, ‘Alfajor from Medina Sidonia’ and ‘Olive Oil Cakes from Castilleja de la Cuesta’); legumes (PGI ‘Chickpea from Escacena’) and bakery products (PGI ‘Mollete from Antequera’ and PGI ‘Bread from Alfacar’).
In the fishing sector, Andalusia produces foods covered by four Protected Geographical Indications (‘Andalusian Mackerel’, ‘Andalusian Mackerel’, ‘Mojama from Barbate’ and ‘Mojama from Isla Cristina’); and vinegar production has three recognized PDOs (‘Condado de Huelva Vinegar’, ‘Jerez Vinegar’ and ‘Montilla-Moriles Vinegar’). Additionally, the spirits sector is also included in the Andalusian agri-food quality mentions with a PGI (‘Jerez Brandy’); and in the case of wines, the region currently has seven PDOs (‘Condado de Huelva’, ‘Granada’, ‘Jerez-Xérès-Sherry’, ‘Málaga’, ‘Manzanilla-Sanlúcar de Barrameda’, ‘Montilla-Moriles’ and ‘Sierras de Málaga’), a Quality Wine with Geographical Indication (‘Lebrija’) and 17 PGIs (‘Orange Wine from Condado de Huelva’, ‘Sierra Nevada Uplands’, ‘Bailén’, ‘Cádiz’, ‘Córdoba’, ‘Guadalfeo Summits’, ‘Desert of Almería’, ‘Laderas del Genil’, ‘Láujar-Alpujarra’, ‘Los Palacios’, ‘North of Almería’, ‘Andarax Riverbank’, ‘North Sierra of Seville’, ‘South Sierra of Jaén’, ‘Estancias and Filabres Mountain Ranges’, ‘Torreperogil’ and ‘Villaviciosa de Córdoba’).
On the other hand, the region’s hams and cured meats are protected by five denominations (PDO ‘Jabugo’, PDO ‘Los Pedroches’, PGI ‘Trevélez Ham’, PGI ‘Serón Ham’ and GTS ‘Serrano Ham’); and the meat sector is represented by a PGI (‘Segureño Lamb’).
National protection
In addition to these denominations already included in the EU register, three other protected mentions at the national level are added while the EU procedures are completed. Specifically, the Protected Designation of Origin ‘Málaga Honey’ and the Protected Geographical Indications ‘Gordal Olive from Sevilla’ and ‘Manzanilla Olive from Sevilla’.