Brussels, 13 March 2023
Today the Commission approved the first ever Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) from Iceland, the ‘Íslenskt lambakjöt‘.
‘Íslenskt lambakjöt’ is the name given to the meat from pure bred Icelandic lambs, which have been born, raised and slaughtered on the island of Iceland. Sheep farming has a long and rich cultural tradition in Iceland. The characteristics of ‘Íslenskt lambakjöt’ first and foremost consists of a high degree of tenderness and gamey taste, due to the fact that lambs roam freely in demarcated wild rangelands and grow in the wild, natural surroundings of Iceland, where they feed on grass and other plants. The long tradition of sheep farming passing down generations on the island has led to high standards of flock management and grazing methods. One of the best examples of traditional Icelandic cooking is lamb meat soup.
The Commission also approved today ‘Antakya Künefesi‘ from Türkiye as Protected Geographical Indication (PGI). ‘Antakya Künefesi’ is one of the few desserts that contain cheese in Turkey. It is produced in the Hatay province and its districts and künefelik kadayıf (lightly baked thread like dough for künefe), fresh Antakya künefelik cheese (cheese for künefe), butter and syrup are used. The size of the dessert depends on the number of servings to be consumed. The recipe and production skills have been transferred from one generation to the next based on master-apprenticeship relationship.
These new denominations will be added to the list of 1,614 agricultural products already protected. More information in our database eAmbrosia and on the quality schemes page.
Source – EU Commission