16/10/2023 (Agence Europe) – On Monday 16 October, the European Commission announced that it had approved the addition of ‘Meso turopoljske svinje’ as a protected designation of origin (PDO) for Croatia. ‘Meso turopoljske svinje’ refers to the fresh meat and other edible parts of the carcass of castrated males and females of the autochthonous Turopolje pig breed. The production area for this meat is limited to mainland Croatia, comprising 13 counties and the city of Zagreb. Turopolje’s abundance of forests, particularly oak forests, numerous waterways and temperate climate have long favoured the development of pig farming. For centuries, pig farming in Turopolje has played an important role in the livelihood of the region’s inhabitants. This designation is added to the list of 1,657 agricultural products already protected at EU level. (LC)