EU Protected Food Names Scheme - UK registered names
Regulation (EEC) No 2082/92
Certificate of Specific Character
National application No: - Traditional Farmfresh Turkey
1. Competent service of the Member State:
Name: United Kingdom - Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Tel: 020 7238 6687
Fax: 020 7238 5728
2. Applicant group:
a) Name: Traditional Farmfresh Turkey Association
b) Address: 5 Beacon Drive, Seaford, East Sussex BN25 2JX
c) Composition: producer/processor (30 ) other ( )
3. Type of product (see list in Annex VI):
Fresh meat - Class 1.1
4. Specification - Summary of requirement under Article 4(2)):
4.1) Name:
Traditional Farmfresh Turkey (protection has been requested for the English version of the name only)
4.2) Description of Product:
Specific production or manufacturing method: Turkeys are grown to a minimum age of 18 weeks in open or protected barns with or without free range. The maximum stocking density is as follows:
25kg per m2 for open barns/pole barns with natural ventilation only,
35kg per m2 for protected barns with natural ventilation and powered ventilation.
From eight weeks of age turkeys must be housed in buildings which are both naturally lit and ventilated, and giving proper protection against the extremes of weather. Bedding must be deep-litter of freshly topped-up straw or softwood shavings.
The free range version must also have daytime access to open air runs in an area mainly covered by vegetation of at least 4m2 per bird.
Turkeys are fed on a diet containing only vegetable protein from the age of six weeks. From 10 weeks of age 70% of the diet must consist of cereals. Unless prescribed by a veterinary surgeon on animal welfare grounds, antibiotics or growth promoters are not fed to turkeys.
12 to 15 hours prior to slaughter, food (but not water) is withdrawn from the turkeys. They are then killed close to where they were reared using electrical stunning and bleeding or neck dislocation. the carcasses are then hand or machine dry plucked before hung by both legs for 7 to 14 days in a ventilated facility at a maximum temperature of 4°C.
4.3) Traditional character:
The slow growth of the birds results in a good carcase with firm meat. After slaughter and prior to evisceration, the carcasses are dry plucked and hung by both legs for 7 to 14 days. This method of hanging ensures tenderness of meat and development of a strong or gamey flavour which increases according to length of the time the carcasses are hung.
4.4) Description of the product:
Sold whole bodied or eviscerated. Good developed carcase with a full fat cover, firm meat and strong or gamey flavour.
(iii) checks against this written information will be made by the nominated inspection body.
4.5) Minimum requirements and inspection procedures:
PAI inspector visits premises of producer annually to check production specification as detailed above. Further inspections are undertaken at random.
Name & Address: Product Authentication Inspectorate, Rowland House, 65 High Street, Worthing,West Sussex, BN11 1DN
EC No: S/UK/0004/96.05.28.
Page last modified: 7 August 2007
Page published: 31 March 2004