Brussels, 18/04/2008 (Agence Europe) - The European federation of hand-harvested sea salt producers welcomes the unanimous decision taken on Thursday 17 April by the 27 member states of the European Union to insert this salt in the annex of the EC regulation of 2006 on the protected geographical indications (PGI) and the protected denominations of origin (PDO).
This decision follows the request sent in May 2007 by the producers of hand-harvested sea salt of the different countries concerned (France, Italy, Spain and Portugal) to the Directorate General for agriculture of the European Commission asking for the different hand-harvested sea salts to benefit from recognition as PGI/PDO (see EUROPE 9546).
“The producers of hand-harvested sea salt are very happy with this decision. Each of our different sea salts is a quality product which has a history, its own characteristics as well as a strong link to the area it comes from. Today's decision will allow us to send registration files to Brussels and, consequently, to protect and promote our products by giving consumers guarantees on the origin and the quality of our salts. Today, we are very proud to join the family of products which can benefit from a PDO or a PGI”, stated Michel Coquard, President of the European federation of hand-harvested salt producers, in a press release.
Hand-harvested sea salt is salt harvested using traditional methods, i.e. in salt marshes made up of a series of clay-lined pools in which the sea water is circulated by means of manually operated hydraulic pumps at a rhythm controlled by the salt producer. It is possible to distinguish two kinds of product: - coarse salt which crystallises in the water on the floor of the crystallising ponds; - flower of salt, which crystallises on the water surface in the crystallising ponds. Salt harvesting methods have not changed for centuries and the harvested salts are products that are 100% natural, the producers explain in a brochure. (L.C.)