Logos-europeos

Differences between DOP, IGP and ETG

We are increasingly likely to come across products in shops labelled with different classifications, denominations or certifications. When a product becomes quite well-known for its quality, imitations usually appear on the market in an attempt to cash in on the name. Not only do these products deceive consumers, but they can also damage the reputation of the original product. Consequently, common control systems have been set up throughout the European Union to guarantee manufacturing parameters and/or specific origin.

We would like to use our blog to explain three concepts that, although similar, have different nuances: Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) (such as our Jamón de Teruel DOP Sierra Lindón), Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) and Traditional Specialities Guaranteed (TSG).

The MAGRAMA website literally defines a PDO according to

Ruling (CE) 510/2006, dated 20 March 2006 on protection of geographical indications and the designation of origin of agricultural and food products, which defines them as “the name of a region, of a specific place or, in exceptional cases, of a country, that is used to designate an agricultural product or a food product:

– Originating from this region, this specific place or this country,

– Whose quality and characteristics are fundamentally or exclusively due to the geographical environment with its natural and human factors, and

– Whose production, transformation and manufacturing take place in the specific geographic area.”

 

In the case of Jamón de Teruel DOP/PDO, it is precisely the cold, dry climate in this province, plus meticulously selected raw material, that gives such a high quality product. In addition, the Control Board guarantees that the whole process, from breeding to slaughter, plus manufacturing and transformation of the product, takes place in the province of Teruel. Consumers can therefore be sure that a product awarded this label has been manufactured according to specific criteria that guarantee reasonably constant quality.

It gives a very similar definition for PGI as

“The name of a region, of a specific place or, in exceptional cases, of a country, that is used to designate an agricultural product or a food product:

– Originating from this region, this specific place or this country,

– That has a particular quality, reputation or other feature that can be attributed to this geographical origin, and

– Whose production, transformation or manufacturing takes place in the specific geographical area.”

 

The most significant difference lies in a simple conjunction: and/or. In the case of the PDO, production, transformation and manufacturing all take place in the same geographical area. However, for a product with PGI, not all the phases have to be performed in the same geographical area. So it whilst it does not determine a greater degree of quality in itself, it might be assumed that a PDO is more involved in all the product phases, controlling everything from the choice of raw material to the final result. In addition, a PDO should be appreciated for enabling a specific area, by restricting all the production phases to this area.

The MAGRAMA says the following about the TSG:

The Traditional Specialities Guaranteed (TSG) label does not refer to the origin, but it aims to protect a traditional product composition or a traditional production method. Ruling (CE) 509/2006, dated 20 March 2006, on traditional specialities guaranteed for agricultural and food products defines it as “traditional agricultural or food product that benefits from acknowledgement from the Community regarding its specific features by means of registering it according to this Ruling.”

In this case, it is more obviously how it differs from PDO and PGI. A TSG does not protect a geographical name but rather the name of the product, regardless of where it is made, specifying the traditional method in this case. One classic example of a TSG is ‘jamón serrano’ (cured ham), made in many places around Spain in a reasonably similar way.

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