HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"L 169/22
EN
Official Journal of the European Union
21.6.2013
COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU) No 579/2013
of 17 June 2013
entering a name in the register of protected designations of origin and protected geographical
indications [Pasas de Málaga (PDO)]
THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
(4) However,
references
to
the
International
Organisation
for
Vine and Wine (OIV) and its List of OIV Descriptors for
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European
Grape Varieties and Vitis Species were not made correctly
Union,
in the product description under point 3.2 of the single
Having regard to Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the
document. For reasons of clarity and legal certainty, the
European Parliament and of the Council of 21 November
Spanish authorities have amended the Single Document
2012 on quality schemes for agricultural products and food
accordingly.
stuffs ( 1 ), and in particular Article 52(2) thereof,
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:
Whereas:
(1) Regulation
(EU)
No
1151/2012
repealed
and
replaced
Article 1
Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 of 20 March
2006 on the protection of geographical indications and
The name contained in Annex I to this Regulation is hereby
designations of origin for agricultural products and food
entered in the register.
stuffs ( 2 ).
Article 2
(2) Pursuant
to
Article
6(2)
of
Regulation
(EC)
No
510/2006, Italy’s application to register the name ‘Pasas
The updated Single Document is contained in Annex II to this
de Málaga’ was published in the Official Journal of the
Regulation.
European Union ( 3 ).
Article 3
(3) As
no
objections
within
the
meaning
of
Article
7
of
Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 were received by the
This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day
Commission, the name ‘Pasas de Málaga’ should be
following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the
entered in the register.
European Union.
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.
Done at Brussels, 17 June 2013.
For the Commission,
On behalf of the President,
Dacian CIOLO
Member of the Commission
( 1 ) OJ L 343, 14.12.2012, p. 1.
( 2 ) OJ L 93, 31.3.2006, p. 12.
( 3 ) OJ C 175, 19.6.2012, p. 35.

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EN
21.6.2013 Official
Journal
of
the
European
Union L
169/23
ANNEX I
Agricultural products intended for human consumption listed in Annex I to the Treaty:
Class 1.6. Fruit, vegetables and cereals, fresh or processed
SPAIN
Pasas de Málaga (PDO)

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L 169/24
EN
Official Journal of the European Union
21.6.2013
ANNEX II
SINGLE DOCUMENT
Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for
agricultural products and foodstuffs ( 1 )
‘PASAS DE MLAGA’
EC No: ES-PDO-0005-00849-24.1.2011
PGI () PDO (X)
1. Name
‘Pasas De Málaga’
2. Member State or Third Country
Spain
3. Description
of
the
agricultural
product
or
foodstuff
3.1. Type of product
Class 1.6 — Fruit, vegetables and cereals, fresh or processed
3.2. Description of product to which the name in (1) applies
D e f i n i t i o n
Traditional ‘Pasas de Málaga’ are obtained by sun-drying the ripe fruit of the Muscat of Alexandria variety of Vitis
vinifera L., also known as Moscatel Gordo or Moscatel de Málaga.
P h y s i c a l c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s
— Regarding the length and width of the berry, as set out in the Descriptor List for Grape Varieties and Vitis
Species published by the International Organisation for Vine and Wine (OIV), the Muscat of Alexandria variety
features long (7) and wide (7) berries which produce large dry raisins.
— Colour: uniform purple black
— Shape: rounded
— The peduncle may still be attached if the grapes are removed from the bunch manually.
— Skin softness: in the OIV Descriptor List ‘thickness of skin’ is graded as follows: 1 = very thin, 3 = thin, 5 =
average, 7 = thick and 9 = very thick; the Muscat of Alexandria variety falls under category 5 (‘average’). As the
berries do not undergo any treatment that impairs the skin, the raisins therefore have a skin of medium
thickness.
C h e m i c a l c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s
The degree of moisture must be less than 35 %. The sugar content must be greater than 50 % w/w.
— Acidity: between 1.2 and 1.7 % in tartaric acid.
— pH: between 3.5 and 4.5.
— Water-soluble solids: greater than 65 ° Brix.
O r g a n o l e p t i c c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s
— The raisins retain the characteristic muscat flavour of the grapes from which they are produced: In the OIV
Descriptor List the characteristic ‘particular flavour’ is graded as follows: 1 = none, 2 = muscat, 3 = foxy, 4 =
herbaceous, 5 = other flavour; Muscat of Alexandria is classed as 2 and it is this variety of Muscat that is the OIV
reference for this grade.
— The muscat flavour is enhanced by an intense retronasal aroma dominated by the following terpenols: a-
terpineol (aromatic herbs), linalol (rose), geraniol (geranium) and b-citronelol (citrus).
— The degree of acidity, as indicated above, helps to create a specific sweet-sour balance.
( 1 ) Replaced by Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 November 2012 on quality schemes
for agricultural products and foodstuffs.

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EN
21.6.2013 Official
Journal
of
the
European
Union L
169/25
— The medium size, degree of moisture and Brix value give the raisins an elastic, flexible quality; the pulp feels
fleshy and juicy in the mouth, tactile sensations which are not at all like the dry, inelastic feel dried fruit often
has.
3.3. Raw materials (for processed products only)
Traditional ‘Pasas de Málaga’ are obtained by sun-drying the ripe fruit of the Muscat of Alexandria variety of Vitis
vinifera L., also known as Moscatel Gordo or Moscatel de Málaga.
3.4. Feed (for products of animal origin only)
Not applicable.
3.5. Specific steps in production that must take place in the defined geographical area
Production and packaging must take place in the geographical area defined in point 4.
Production begins with the harvesting of healthy grapes, which never takes place before the phenological stage of
‘ripening’ (Baggiolini, 1952), avoiding fruit that are not intact or have been damaged by disease or fallen to the
ground before harvesting.
The next step is drying the grapes by directly exposing the bunches to the sun. They must not be dried artificially.
The work is done manually: every day the farmer turns the bunches of grapes that are spread out to dry so that they
dry evenly on both sides.
Once the bunches of grapes are dry, the berries are removed by work known as picado, performed by hand using
scissors whose size and shape are specially adapted so as not to impair the quality of the fruit removed from the
dried bunches, or by machine in factories.
Once the raisins are ready, off or on the bunch, the production process continues in the raisin factories, where the
following tasks must be performed before the packaged raisins can be placed on the market:
— Receipt and collection of the raisins delivered by the raisin farmers;
— The raisins are removed from the bunch, if this has not already been done by the farmer;
— They are classed by average size of fruit, measured as the number of raisins per 100 grams;
— Preparation for packaging: i.e. the separation into units of fruit that has already been classed and stored. There
must always be fewer than 80 fruits per 100 grams net;
— Packaging: by hand or by machine. This is the final stage of production and it plays a crucial role in protecting
the quality characteristics of the raisins over time, so only by isolating it from the environment in clean, well-
sealed packaging is it possible to preserve the delicate moisture balance that is such an important characteristic
of the product.
3.6. Specific rules on slicing, grating, packaging, etc.
Not applicable.
3.7. Specific rules concerning labelling
The packaging must bear the following information (on top of the Protected Designation of Origin):
— the sales name of the product: the name ‘Pasas de Málaga’ must be prominently displayed, with the words
‘Denominación de Origen’ (Designation of Origin) immediately below.
— The net quantity, in kilograms (kg) or grams (g),
— Date of minimum durability.
— The name, trading name or designation of the producer or the packager and, in any event, their registered office
address,
— The batch.
The name under which the product is sold, the net quantity and the use-by date must appear in the same field of
view.
In all cases, the compulsory indications must be easy to understand, prominently displayed and easily visible, clearly
legible and indelible. They shall not in any way be hidden, obscured or interrupted by other written or pictorial
matter.

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L 169/26
EN
Official Journal of the European Union
21.6.2013
All packaging must include a label bearing the PDO logo and the words ‘Denominación de Origen Protegida’ and
‘Pasas de Málaga’, plus a unique code for each unit.
4. Concise
definition
of
the
geographical
area
LOCATION
COUNTRY: SPAIN
AUTONOMOUS COMMUNITY: ANDALUCA
PROVINCE: MLAGA
There are areas of vineyard all over the Province of Malaga, north, south, east and west. In two of these areas most
of the grapes have traditionally been grown for raisin production. The most important of these is the district of
Axarquia in the eastern part of the province, to the east of the capital. The other area is at the far western end of the
Malaga coast. The defined geographical area comprises the following municipalities:
MUNICIPALITIES:
AXARQUIA
Alcaucín Alfarnate Alfarnatejo Algarrobo
Almáchar rchez Arenas Benamargosa
Benamocarra El
Borge Canillas
de
Acietuno Canillas
de
Albaida
Colmenar Comares Cómpeta Cútar
Frigiliana Iznate Macharaviaya Málaga
Moclinejo Nerja Periana Rincón
de
la
Victoria
Riogordo Salares Sayalonga Sedella
Torrox Totalán Vélez
Málaga Viuela
MANILVA AREA
Casares Manilva Estepona
5. Link
with
the
geographical
area
5.1. Specificity of the geographical area
There have been references to the link between vine growing and the defined geographical area since ancient times,
right down till the present day. Pliny the Elder (1st century AD) mentioned the fact that there were vineyards in
Malaga in his work the ‘Natural History’. During the Nasrid dynasty era (13th-15th centuries) agricultural production
was encouraged, in particular grape growing for raisin production. Vine growing flourished until the end of the 19th
century, when a combination of commercial factors and plant health problems, mainly phylloxera (Viteus vitifoliae,
Fitch) caused the sector to collapse. As a result, today’s vineyards are scattered all over the province. In two of these
areas most of the grapes have traditionally been grown for raisin production. Both areas of production are in the
southern part of the province, bordering on the Mediterranean sea, so they have a subtropical Mediterranean
climate. The uneven terrain is also a general feature of the Province of Malaga. Although grapes grown for raisin
production no longer occupy as much land as they did before phylloxera, they are still an important factor in the
economy and the socio-cultural environment in a large section of the province. They are grown in more than 35
municipalities by over 1 800 farmers on 2 200 ha of land.
The qualities of ‘Pasas de Málaga’ are to a large extent determined by the natural environment. One of the char
acteristic features of the geographical area is its uneven terrain: the landscape is a succession of hills and river beds
with gradients of over 30 %. The territory, with a high mountain range to the north and the Mediterranean sea in
the south, is a succession of canyons and river beds which form a very particular landscape with steep slopes, so
that the whole of Axarquia is like a hillside going down to the sea. In the Manilva area, where the vines are close to
the sea, the relief is gentler than in Axarquia.
The soil is essentially slatey, poor, shallow and with poor water holding capacity. The climate is subtropical
Mediterranean, with mild winters, dry summers, little rain and long hours of sunshine (average 2 974 hours
over the past decade).
5.2. Specificity of the product
The size of Pasas de Málaga is one of their most appreciated and distinguishing characteristics, they are considered
large, and clearly superior to other products of their kind, such as sultanas, currants and California Thompson
seedless.

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EN
21.6.2013 Official
Journal
of
the
European
Union L
169/27
The raisins retain the characteristic muscat flavour of the grapes from which they are produced, and it is this variety
of Muscat that is the OIV reference for one of the grades of ‘particular flavour’.
5.3. Causal link between the geographical area and the quality or characteristics of the product (for PDO) or a specific quality, the
reputation or other characteristic of the product (for PGI)
The link between the geographical area and the specific quality of the product derives directly from the conditions in
which the raisins are produced. The relief facilitates the natural exposure of the bunches to the sun for drying: this
method of drying preserves the quality of the skin and enhances the muscat flavour by concentrating the aromas.
The hot, dry weather at harvest time is good for ripening and the accumulation in the berries of the dry matter and
sugars that are important for successful drying, in turn enabling the pulp to retain its characteristic juiciness and
elasticity. The hours of sunshine mean that the bunches can be exposed to the sun for short periods, so that the
raisin retains the berry’s acidity.
It is because the growing conditions are difficult that over time Muscat of Alexandria has become the main variety
cultivated, as it is the best adapted to this particular environment. The variety has the genetic potential for
differentiating characteristics such as size of the fruit, quality of the skin, properties of the pulp, muscat aromas
and a high degree of insoluble solids (fibre) that are mostly in the pips.
The difficult terrain has made raisin production an artisanal activity, where tasks such as harvesting, putting the
bunches of grapes out to dry in the sun and turning them as they dry, and selecting the fruit are done manually, and
great attention is paid to quality. The task of removing the grapes from the bunch (picado) is also done manually,
which is why ‘Pasas de Málaga’ often have the peduncle attached.
Drying is an ancient, natural way of preserving food, whereby deterioration is prevented by the removal of excess
water. Only with experience and knowledge acquired over the years is it possible to achieve the delicate moisture
balance that gives this product some of its best-known organoleptic characteristics, as described in this specification.
Reference to publication of the specification
(Article 5(7) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006)
http://www.juntadeandalucia.es/agriculturaypesca/portal/export/sites/default/comun/galerias/galeriaDescargas/cap/industrias-
agroalimentarias/denominacion-deorigen/Pliegos/PliegoPasas.pdf

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