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15.11.2013 Official
Journal
of
the
European
Union
L
305/7
COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU) No 1149/2013
of 14 November 2013
entering a name in the register of protected designations of origin and protected geographical
indications (Rillettes de Tours (PGI))
THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
(5) As
an
agreement
was
reached
within
that
period,
the
name ‘Rillettes de Tours’ should therefore be entered in
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European
the register.
Union,
Having regard to Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the
(6) Non-substantial
amendments were
made
to
the
European Parliament and of the Council of 21 November
information published under Article 50(2)(a) of Regu
2012 on quality schemes for agricultural products and food
lation (EU) No 1151/2012. In order to take account of
stuffs (
the Netherlands’ comments concerning the criteria laid

1 ), and in particular Article 52(2) thereof,
down in Section 3.3 of the Single Document on the
Whereas:
origin of the pigs used, the French authorities deleted
the sections relating to the genetic origin of the pigs
(1) Regulation
(EU)
No
1151/2012
repealed
and
replaced
Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 of 20 March
from both the specification and the Single Document.
2006 on the protection of geographical indications and
The amended version of the Single Document should
designations of origin for agricultural products and
therefore be published,
foodstuffs ( 2 ).
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:
(2) Pursuant
to
the
first
subparagraph
of
Article
6(2)
of
Regulation (EC) No 510/2006, France’s application to
Article 1
register the name ‘Rillettes de Tours’ was published in
The name contained in Annex I to this Regulation is hereby
the Official Journal of the European Union ( 3 ).
entered in the register.
(3) Pursuant
to
Article
7
of
Regulation
(EC)
No
510/2006,
a
statement of objection was sent to the Commission by
Article 2
the Netherlands, substantiated under Article 7(3)(a) of
Annex II to this Regulation contains the consolidated Single
Regulation (EC) No 510/2006.
Document setting out the main points of the specification.
(4) In
accordance
with
Article
51(3)
of
Regulation
(EU)
No
Article 3
1151/2012, the Commission forwarded the statement of
objection to the French authorities with its letter of
This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day
12 February 2013 and in so doing opened the three-
following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the
month appropriate consultation period.
European Union.
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.
Done at Brussels, 14 November 2013.
For the Commission
The President
José Manuel BARROSO
( 1 ) OJ L 343, 14.12.2012, p. 1.
( 2 ) OJ L 93, 31.3.2006, p. 12.
( 3 ) OJ C 183, 23.6.2012, p. 16.

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L 305/8
EN
Official Journal of the European Union
15.11.2013
ANNEX I
Agricultural products intended for human consumption listed in Annex I to the Treaty:
Class 1.2. Meat products (cooked, salted, smoked, etc.)
FRANCE
Rillettes de Tours (PGI)

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EN
15.11.2013 Official
Journal
of
the
European
Union
L
305/9
ANNEX II
Consolidated single document
Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 of 20 March 2006 on the protection of geographical indications and designations
of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs ( 1 )
‘RILLETTES DE TOURS’
EC No: FR-PGI-0005-00845-18.1.2011
PGI (X) PDO ( )
1. Name
‘Rillettes de Tours’
2. Member
State
or
third
country
France
3. Description
of
the
agricultural
product
or
foodstuff
3.1. Type of product
Class 1.2. Meat products (cooked, salted, smoked, etc.)
3.2. Description of product to which the name in (1) applies
A cooked, spreadable pork product presented in a tub, terrine, hermetically sealed jar or block. In a tub or terrine,
the product may be covered with a layer of pork fat to improve its preservation.
‘Rillettes de Tours’ are obtained by slowly cooking pieces of pork meat (at least 6 × 6 cm in size) in pork fat in a
cooking pot. This meat may be flavoured with white wine or distilled grape wine. (Non-nitrite) salt is added to the
preparation, and pepper, E150 and Patrelle colouring may also be added.
The colour of ‘Rillettes de Tours’ ranges from a uniform golden yellow (pantone 142 U) to golden brown (pantone
161 U).
The rillettes have a thready texture and contain clearly visible coarse meat fibres (more than 2 cm in size) as well as
pieces of meat.
The moisture content of the fat-free product should be less than or equal to 68 %, which gives it a dry texture.
‘Rillettes de Tours’ also have a browned-meat flavour.
The finished product meets the physico-chemical requirements for lipid levels of ≤ 42 % (68 % MFFB), a total soluble
sugar content of < 0,5 % (68 % MFFB) and a collagen/protein ratio of ≤ 19 %.
3.3. Raw materials (for processed products only)
Sows must be given a rest period of at least 15 days between weaning and slaughter. The minimum age for slaughter
is 172 days, and there is a mandatory feed withdrawal time of 12 hours before the pigs are sent to slaughter. The
minimum warm weight of pig carcasses is 85 kg. The purpose of these requirements is to improve the quality of the
taste of the meat.
The pieces of ham and fillet (exclusively loin cuts) should make up at least 25 % of the lean meat, to improve the
quality of the finished product. The other meats come from the shoulder, neck (between the first and fifth ribs of the
loin) and belly (except udders).
To improve the product’s safety and taste, it must be made from fresh meat supplies. Fresh meat must constitute at
least 75 % of the total meat used in the production process. Frozen meat must have been kept frozen by the
producer of the rillettes at a temperature of – 18 °C for no more than one month. The purchase of frozen meats is
prohibited.
Wines may be used in the production process; these must be white wines made from Chenin grape varieties. This
variety has a dry, tender character.
( 1 ) OJ L 93, 31.3.2006, p. 12. 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 (OJ L 343, 14.12.2012, p. 1).

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L 305/10
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Official Journal of the European Union
15.11.2013
The wine retains several grams of residual sugars, which give it a sweet aftertaste contrasting with the saltiness of
‘Rillettes de Tours’. Chenin grapes have a mineral and chalky aromatic character which offsets the smokiness and
saltiness of ‘Rillettes de Tours’. In addition, the freshness, acidity and fruitiness counterbalance the fat contained in
the rillettes and draw out its flavours.
The use of distilled grape wines is optional.
There is no geographical limit to the origin of the wines and distilled grape wines.
3.4. Feed (for products of animal origin only)
—
3.5. Specific steps in production that must take place in the defined geographical area
The following steps in the production of ‘Rillettes de Tours’ are carried out in the geographical area defined in point
4: preparation of the meats, browning, cooking, resting and finishing.
3.6. Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc.
—
3.7. Specific rules concerning labelling
The PGI ‘Rillettes de Tours’ must appear on the label.
In addition to the information which must be provided by law, the labelling must include the following information:
1. the trade mark;
2. the European Union’s PGI logo;
3. the name and contact details of an addressee of complaints.
4. Concise
definition
of
the
geographical
area
The geographical area for the production and initial packaging of ‘Rillettes de Tours’ is defined as follows:
— the area, centred on Tours, corresponds to the distribution area of the recipe for ‘Rillettes de Tours’. Beyond the
limits of this geographical area, the recipe for rillettes is not the same. There is also the natural barrier of the
Forest of Bercé, between the river Sarthe and Indre-et-Loire,
— the geographical area thus defined is similar to that of the former province of Touraine.
The area consists of the department of Indre-et-Loire (37) and the cantons located in the neighbouring departments,
except for those in Sarthe (72).
5. Link
with
the
geographical
area
The connection with the geographical area is based on specific qualities of ‘Rillettes de Tours’ resulting from the
application in their production of traditional know-how which has remained localised in the Touraine region. This
know-how and the specific qualities of the product give it a reputation which in the mind of the consumer is closely
bound with the geographical area.
5.1. Specificity of the geographical area
C l i m a t i c f a c t o r s
Touraine is characterised by a mild but relatively wet climate which has impeded the natural development of dried
pork products as found in the south of France. It is because of the local climate that rillettes are preserved by
cooking. This climate is, however, favourable for wine-growing and the large quantity of wines produced in the area
has also influenced the way in which ‘Rillettes de Tours’ are flavoured.
H u m a n f a c t o r s
The peasants of the Tours region began making rillettes in the Middle Ages. Up until the end of the 18th century,
this production was very localised in the rural area around Tours and certain farms in Maine.
At the beginning of the 19th century, local butchers took up this peasant recipe, adapted it using their know-how
and handed it down from generation to generation. At this point, the rillettes became known in Touraine as ‘Rillettes
de Tours’.

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15.11.2013 Official
Journal
of
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European
Union L
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One of the main developments was when good quality pieces of meat began to be used instead of offcuts. The
development of new preservation techniques and the fact that the product is cooked with the lid off, giving it a fairly
dry texture, was to reduce the fat content and increase the meat content of the rillettes, making them a higher-
quality product. This know-how, typical of the city of Tours and the Touraine region, would be developed by local
artisan butchers. It was not until 1865 that this dish appeared in certain trade publications.
E c o n o m i c f a c t o r s
The fact that industry is not highly developed in the Touraine region has resulted in slow development of both the
meat production sector, which has generally remained very small-scale in Touraine, and the sale of ‘Rillettes de
Tours’, thus preserving the home-made nature of the product.
‘Rillettes de Tours’ are to this day sold by butchers who teach their apprentices how to make them.
5.2. Specificity of the product
‘Rillettes de Tours’ are cooked in a pot, with the lid mostly off. The cooking process is long and traditionally consists
of three stages: the initial browning of the meat (from 15 minutes to 1 hour at a temperature of between 95 °C and
115 °C), followed by a period of slow cooking (from 5,5 to 12 hours at a temperature of between 65 °C and 95 °C)
and a final short period (10-20 minutes) at a high temperature (95-115 °C).
The initial browning of lean pieces of meat and the slow cooking with the lid off, which are specific to ‘Rillettes de
Tours’, dry out the product and produce flavour substances which result from Maillard reactions, in particular, and
are characteristic of the taste of browned meat.
The slow cooking of the pieces of meat in their own fat produces a confit. The pieces of meat fall apart solely as a
result of the cooking process, without shredding or beating, leaving their long fibres intact.
The dry texture of ‘Rillettes de Tours’, developed originally to increase their shelf-life, is a result of the traditional
manner in which they are cooked in an open pot with a large surface area for evaporation. The purpose of the final
high-temperature stage has also always been to increase evaporation at the end of the cooking process.
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 with the geographical area is based on the traditional know-how localised in the Touraine region, giving rise
to the specific qualities of ‘Rillettes de Tours’, and also on a reputation which is closely linked with the area in the
mind of the consumer.
K n o w - h o w
The low moisture content of ‘Rillettes de Tours’, which originally improved their preservation in this humid region,
later allowed them to be sold outside the Touraine region. It also accounts for why they are known to have a drier
texture than rillettes prepared in neighbouring regions.
Another reason why ‘Rillettes de Tours’ have retained their dry texture over the years is that their producers, most of
whom are small businesses, are less concerned with production yield rates, which are below 80 %: much lower than
those of many other types of rillette.
The low moisture content of ‘Rillettes de Tours’ means that they can be made without preservatives, even though the
use of such substances is not prohibited by law.
Because ‘Rillettes de Tours’ are, as described above, produced only on a small scale and knowledge of how to make
them has been passed on mainly by butchers to their apprentices, this know-how has remained very localised and
has in most cases not spread far beyond department borders.
The preservation of a very strong link with the geographical area is demonstrated by the fact that 90 % of prize
winners in ‘Rillettes de Tours’ competitions are locals.

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L 305/12
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Official Journal of the European Union
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R e p u t a t i o n
The specific characteristics of ‘Rillettes de Tours’ have earned them a well-established reputation. They are the
original artisan rillettes praised by Balzac, a native of Tours, in his 1835 novel The Lily of the Valley.
‘Rillettes de Tours’ have been popular throughout France since the beginning of the 20th century. In 1933
Curnonsky stated in Les trésors gastronomiques de la France: ‘the charcuterie of Touraine has acquired a universal
and legitimate renown: ‘Rillettes de Tours’ have become known all over the world’.
Each year some 30 local butchers compete for the coveted title of maker of the best ‘Rillettes de Tours’. In 2011 the
Paris General Agricultural Fair (Concours Général Agricole) paid tribute to the product’s reputation by opening a special
‘Rillettes de Tours’ section.
Reference to publication of the specification
(Article 5(7) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006)
https://www.inao.gouv.fr/fichier/CDCIGPRillettesdeToursV2.pdf

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