Keleméri lamb has received EU geographical indication protection

By: STA Date: 2022. 12. 21. 09:40

The European Commission approved the inclusion of the name Keleméri lamb in the EU register of protected designations of origin, the Brussels body announced on Tuesday.

(Photo: Pixabay)

According to the announcement, geographical protection can only apply to lamb from Ile-de-France or Suffolk sires and kept and raised from selection to slaughter within the administrative boundaries of the municipality of Kelemér. The ewes cannot be animals of the racka, cikta, or cigaja breed. The age of the lambs at the time of slaughter is no more than 120 days, and their live body weight cannot exceed 40 kilograms, they wrote. It was highlighted: the specific quality characteristics of Keleméri lamb are based on the relationship with the geographical area. The production of lamb has a decisive effect on feeding and husbandry technology, as well as on the offspring of sire animals that can adapt well to this. The village of Kelemér is located at the foot of the Gömör-Szepesi mountain range in the Northern Central Mountains, its microclimate and soil properties are favorable for sedge grasses and medicinal plants. All these factors together influence the quality of the meat, which is why Keleméri lamb has a pleasantly spicy taste, crumbly texture, fresh reddish color, fresh smell, lack of tallow, and the marbling of the thin layer of fat between the muscle fibers, the announcement states.