This publication confers the right to oppose the application pursuant to Article 51 of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council (1) within 3 months from the date of this publication.

PRODUCT SPECIFICATION OF A TRADITIONAL SPECIALITY GUARANTEED

‘Bœuf traditionnel de race Normande’

EU No: TSG-FR-02867 —9.9.2022

1.   Name(s) to be registered

‘Bœuf traditionnel de race Normande’

2.   Type of product [as in Annex XI]

Class 1.1. Fresh meat (and offal)

3.   Grounds for registration

3.1.    This is a product

☒	which results from a mode of production, processing or composition corresponding to traditional practice for that product or foodstuff.

☐	which is produced from raw materials or ingredients that are those traditionally used.

‘Bœuf traditionnel de race Normande’ is meat from a steer, i.e. a castrated male of the Normande breed.

The steers are born on dairy farms and are then reared on farms, thereby constituting an additional production line which can put remote or non-cultivable grasslands to use.

The rearing method used for ‘Bœuf traditionnel de race Normande’ is based on a simple and economical technical procedure which has remained unchanged since the Second World War, despite the intensification of production systems in the 1970s and the introduction of maize silage in the forage systems. This is evidenced by several extracts from the book ‘ L’élevage en Normandie - Etude géographique ’, published in 1968 by the geographer Armand Frémont.

The rearing method is based on a castrated male of the Normande breed consuming grass grazed over at least 7 months of the year, and preserved grass for the rest of the year. This rearing system makes it possible to achieve a slow rate of growth in the animals. The feed for the ‘Bœuf traditionnel de race Normande’ excludes maize silage and all feed derived from genetically modified organisms. Castration makes it a slow-growing, placid breed, while also fostering good conformation and marbling of the meat.

3.2.    This name

☒	identifies the traditional character or specific character of the product.

☐	has been traditionally used to refer to the specific product

The name ‘Bœuf traditionnel de race Normande’ distinguishes the meat from a castrated male of the Normande breed from other meats marketed under the generic term ‘beef’. Most meat is in fact marketed under the generic name ‘beef’, provided that it comes from adult bovine animals (dairy or suckler cull cows, young bulls or heifers).

The feed for the ‘Bœuf traditionnel de race Normande’ is based on grazed or preserved grass. The livestock farming uses a specific breed and specific feed, allowing the animals to grow slowly, and respecting alternating grazing periods of at least 7 months with a second period which can be spent in sheds.

The Normande breed is a mixed breed and can produce both milk and meat. It is known for the quality of its milk (cheese and butter), its longevity and its rusticity, i.e. suitability for free-range farming. It also tolerates seasonal climate variations well; it can remain at pasture throughout the year, and can lose and regain weight easily (Le Liboux P., 1974 and ‘ Patrimoine normand ’, 2000). Its conformation and the quality of its meat are renowned (panel of the ‘Gault et Millau’ jury, 1992).

Traditionally, dairy farms with the Normande breed have always grazed steers on remote grassland or grassland which is difficult to cultivate, and this has provided an opportunity to make productive use of the males.

4.   Description

4.1.    Description of the product to which the name under point 1 applies, including its main physical, chemical, microbiological or organoleptic characteristics showing the product’s specific character (Article 7(2) of the Regulation)

‘Bœuf traditionnel de race Normande’ is beef obtained from a castrated male of the Normande breed, aged between 30 and 48 months.

The Normande breed is a mixed breed, recognised for its ability to produce milk and meat.

The carcasses are classified as at least O = with fat cover ‘3’ or ‘4’.

The minimum weight is 380 kg for carcasses classified as O+ and 410 kg for carcasses classified as O=. One specific feature of these carcasses is that they have high fat cover, except on the thigh and shoulder.

The thoracic and intercostal muscles are infiltrated with fat and the meat is marbled.

The meat is dark red in colour, infiltrated with hazelnut-coloured fat.

4.2.    Description of the production method of the product to which the name under point 1 applies that the producers must follow including, where appropriate, the nature and characteristics of the raw materials or ingredients used, and the method by which the product is prepared (Article 7(2) of this Regulation)

Any operator wishing to be involved in all or part of the production of ‘Bœuf traditionnel de race Normande’ must identify themselves to the group.

Operators must make available to the agents responsible for checks the individual traceability record, or any equivalent document which can be computerised, which accompanies each animal until it is slaughtered, as well as any document required for checks.

Any operator renouncing the claim to the traditional speciality guaranteed ‘Bœuf traditionnel de race Normande’ for an animal must inform the group by sending it a completed copy of the animal's traceability record.

An annual summary declaration of production indicates:

—	for slaughterers: the number and weight of carcasses identified as TSG ‘Bœuf traditionnel de race Normand’ for the year N-1.

—	for breeders: — the number of steers marketed under the TSG ‘Bœuf traditionnel de race Normande’ for year N-1; — the number of animals reared in accordance with the specification for the TSG ‘Bœuf traditionnel de race Normande’ for year N.

Operators send this declaration to the group at the latest by 28 February of year N.

4.2.1.   The animal

The term ‘Bœuf traditionnel de race Normande’ refers to a male of the Normande breed (breed code 56 for both parents).

Castration takes place before the age of 7 months (210 days). Anaesthesia and/or analgesia is compulsory for this practice.

To perform disbudding or dehorning, an anaesthetic or analgesic and also disinfection of the wounds are mandatory.

The breeder must keep the individual traceability record up-to-date, including for each animal the information from the bovine passport together with the identification number of the farm and the date on which the animal was castrated.

4.2.2.   Authorised feed

The animals consume dairy-based feed, feed constituting the basic ration and supplementary concentrates and feed.

Dairy-based feed:

When milk powder is used, it is composed mainly of proteins of animal origin.

The basic ration is composed of:

—	grazed grass, wilted or baled grass or grass silage (with no added chemical preserving agents and with a dry matter content of more than 27 %);

—	straw from cereals, protein and leguminous crops;

—	wilted or baled alfafa or alfafa silage (with a dry matter content of more than 27 %);

—

beet.

Maize silage is prohibited.

Concentrated feed and feed supplements:

—	cereal grains and derived products: wheat, barley, oats, triticale, grain maize,

—

meslin,

—	alfafa pellets,

—	beet pulp,

—	oil seeds, oil fruits and products derived therefrom: rapeseed, soya and flax.

—	legume seeds and products derived therefrom: peas and beans.

Minerals are allowed.

Urea and its derivatives are prohibited.

Additives of animal origin are prohibited.

Feed containing palm oil is prohibited.

In accordance with the specification, only plants, co-products and feed derived from non-transgenic products are allowed in the animal feed.

4.2.3.   Rearing

4.2.3.1.   Nutrition

—   From the 1st day to the 6th month inclusive

An animal intended to become a ‘Bœuf traditionnel de race Normande’ is reared under the dairy system, with the distribution of whole milk or powdered milk and possibly a cereal- and fodder-based supplement prior to weaning.

Over this period, the quantity of concentrates distributed must not exceed 500 kg of dry matter. Powdered milk is not included in this count.

—   From the 7th month until slaughter

The ‘Bœuf traditionnel de race Normande’ grazes for at least two full summer seasons, each lasting 7 months, between at least March and November.

During this grazing period, grazed grass constitutes the basic feed. The animals may be given a supplement in the form of bales of hay or straw, or concentrates, depending on grass growth.

The total annual load on pasture areas is at least 30 ares per livestock unit (LU).

The breeder must keep an up-to-date grazing book in order to identify for each parcel:

—	the individual numbers identifying steers grazing on it,

—	the dates of entry and exit from the grassland.

During the winter period, grass is still the basic feed. The ‘Bœuf traditionnel de race Normande’ is fed with grass-based fodder with a dry matter content of at least 60 % for the basic ration.

Supplementary concentrated feed may be distributed when at pasture or in sheds.

80 % of the basic ration distributed to the steers comes from the farm.

—   Finishing

The finishing stage is the last stage before slaughter and is used to refine the conformation of the animals. This can take place either in sheds or at pasture, one of the characteristics of the Normande breed being that it can be finished on grass.

During the two months preceding slaughter, up to 250 kg of dry matter in concentrated supplementary feed may be added.

The breeder must keep the individual traceability record up-to-date, indicating:

—	the date of fattening

—	the earliest date of slaughter.

The total quantity of concentrates distributed to the ‘Bœuf traditionnel de race Normande’ from birth until slaughter is limited to 1 500 kg of dry matter.

4.2.3.2.   Accommodation

When the steers are indoors, they can be either in loose housing on deep litter (with or without an exercise area), in a stabilised wintering pen, or in a tie-stall or stanchion-tied barn.

The straw in the housing is thus arranged in such a way that the steers can maintain a good state of cleanliness, i.e. soiled areas extend at the most over the lower half of the thigh, the lower belly and the sternum.

This concept of cleanliness also applies for the summer period and for the winter period when it is spent outdoors.

The animals have at least 6 m2/ LU when indoors. For animals over 36 months of age, this area is increased to 8 m2/ LU. The animals have 0,7 m/ LU in troughs and at least one space per animal where a restraint is put in place (feed fence, oblique bars, etc.).

Full grating is prohibited.

Full open air is allowed.

4.2.4.   Slaughter and carcass characteristics

The ‘Bœuf traditionnel de race Normande’ is slaughtered between 30 and 48 months of age. This is the time needed for the animals to benefit from at least two grazing seasons.

The period between departure from the holding and slaughter of the animal must not exceed 24 hours if the transport is direct from the holding, and 36 hours if the animal passes through an assembly centre.

To ensure animal welfare, only slaughter with stunning is allowed.

In order to guarantee a good level of conformation for the ‘Bœuf traditionnel de race Normande’, according to the EUROPA grid:

—	carcasses classified as at least O+ must have a minimum weight of 380 kg;

—	carcasses classified as at least O= must have a minimum carcass weight of 410 kg.

Only carcasses with fat cover of 3 or 4 are eligible for the TSG ‘Bœuf traditionnel de race normande’.

The breeder must keep the individual traceability record up-to-date, indicating:

—	the date and time of departure from the farm to the slaughterhouse,

—	the slaughterhouse identification: The slaughterer must keep the individual traceability record up-to-date, indicating: — Name or No of slaughterer — Date and time of slaughter — Slaughterhouse No — Carcass weight — Carcass classification — Fat cover

The meat must be identified as TSG ‘Bœuf traditionnel de race normande’ after the carcasses have been marked by the slaughterer. The carcasses are identified in line with the specification by affixing the words ‘Bœuf traditionnel de race Normande’ and labels on the carcass and on the cuts.

4.2.5.   Labelling

The labelling on each unit package of ‘Bœuf traditionnel de race Normande’ beef must show:

—	the name of the ‘Bœuf traditionnel de race Normande’ traditional speciality guaranteed, printed: — in the largest characters of those appearing on the label, — in identical characters of the same size in terms of both height and width, — in characters of the same colour, — in a single block.

—	The words ‘Traditional Speciality Guaranteed’ and the ‘TSG’ symbol immediately before or after the name of the TSG, with no intermediate references.

—	All other terms must be clearly separated from the name.

4.3.    Description of the the key elements establishing the product’s traditional character

The production of ‘Bœuf traditionnel de race Normande’ is part of the history of livestock farming in the Grand-Ouest regions of France.

The soil and climate of the Grand Ouest, the cradle of the Normande breed, the changes in the economy and in rural law which have marked the world of farming since the 16th century and the proximity of Paris have greatly contributed to the traditional character of this production over the years (Frémont A., 1967).

Until the Second World War, over vast stretches of territory in Normandy with a high concentration of pasture land, soil quality and the ocean climate facilitated the cultivation of grass. The hedgerow landscape, its uneven terrain and its wet valley floors make the use of ploughs difficult. Livestock farming therefore developed here around the concept of ‘embouche ’ (grass-fattening), involving the fattening of lean animals which were usually working animals.

Then, in the second half of the 19th century, livestock breeding specialised in this area, encouraged by the collapse in cereal prices caused by massive exports from across the Atlantic in the late 19th century and the rural exodus at the time of French industrialisation (Bertaux J.J., 1997).

The lower economic value of crops coupled with a lack of labour led to an increase in pasture land and therefore in cattle farming, particularly of the Normande cattle breed. Livestock farmers then started to fatten their animals, which led to the development and specialisation of production (Frémont A., 1967).

This type of farming, historically linked to dairy farming using the Normande breed, was profitable and non labour-intensive. Indeed, commercial opportunities were mainly in Paris, the closest and most promising market (Frémont A., 1967).

Over the same period, Normande livestock breeding became more professional and efforts were made to improve livestock quality using the new concept of selection for meat, by introducing the genes of Durham cattle, an English breed raised more for beef, but also for milk, for which the fresh products market was growing in the capital (cream, butter and soft cheeses).

The Paris market, followed by growth in all the major cities until the 1960s, created a burgeoning meat and dairy products market and thus reinforced the idea of the Normande breed being mixed-purpose, making the ‘Bœuf traditionnel de race Normande’ a complementary line of production.

It took on the fattening techniques used in traditional grass-fattening (embouche), based on grassland management in accordance with the quality of the land and the rate of grass growth, two concepts which made it possible to optimise grazing and the harvesting of fodder for the winter period.

This production drew on the intrinsic qualities of the animal, brought out by the slow growth facilitated by castration, since the absence of male hormones caused the animals to develop at a slower rate.

The ‘Bœuf traditionnel de race Normande’ was thus reared on a diet based on grazing and preserved grass-based feed in winter.

In addition to guaranteeing the placidity of the animals, castration also ensured better muscle mass distribution on the rear parts of the animal and therefore better conformation, which was further enhanced by the mixed-purpose Normande breed.

The production of ‘Bœuf traditionnel de race Normande’ took hold everywhere where the Normande breed was present, in spite of the dairy production specialisation and the feed systems based on maize silage and soya at the end of the 20th century as a result of the intensification of rearing methods (Bertaux J.J., 1997).

The Normande dairy herd and its complementary beef production were exported well beyond their place of origin, to regions where the impossibility of cultivating certain pasture land made the concept of using the same herd to produce both milk and meat attractive.

Development of the Normande breed and ‘Bœuf traditionnel de race Normande’ took hold, for instance, in Brittany, the Pays de la Loire, the Centre and as far as the borders of Charente.

All of these elements are corroborated by two extracts from the book by Armand Frémont entitled ‘L’élevage en Normandie -Etude géographique’, published in 1968.

The first extract below, taken from the paragraph dealing with ‘animals for slaughter’, which he divides into three categories - the calf, the young immature steer and the traditional steer - characterises the latter as follows for the year 1968, when the Normande breed was still mainly present in Normandy in dairy herds, thereby demonstrating that this was a very specific type of production using steers slaughtered at the age of 3 years, and fattened mainly using the grass-fattening method (embouche), as opposed to being trough-fed:

The second extract clarifies the concept of embouche, defining it as a method of fattening cattle by feeding them grass:

In the 19th century, as in the aftermath of the Second World War and still today, the ‘Bœuf traditionnel de race Normande’ is thus defined as a castrated male of the Normande breed which is slaughtered at around 3 years of age after having been fattened on grass.

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(1)   OJ L 343, 14.12.2012, p. 1.