ANNEX

APPLICATION FOR REGISTRATION OF A TSG

Regulation (EC) No 509/2006 on agricultural products and foodstuffs as traditional specialities guaranteed (*1)

‘SUIKERSTROOP’

EC No: NL-TSG-0007-01203 – 27.1.2014

1.   NAME AND ADDRESS OF THE APPLICANT GROUP

2.   MEMBER STATE OR THIRD COUNTRY

The Netherlands

3.   PRODUCT SPECIFICATION

3.1.   Name(s) to be registered (Article 2 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1216/2007  (1) )

‘Suikerstroop’

The name shall be accompanied by the claim ‘made following the tradition of the Netherlands’.

3.2.   Whether the name

The product has had this name for centuries. ‘Suikerstroop’ [treacle] is obtained during the production of sugar. Article 12 of the 1977 Sugar and Syrup (Commodities Act) Decree provides that: ‘The name “suikerstroop”, preceded where appropriate by the name of the plant from which the product is made, must and may only be used to describe the syrupy liquid obtained from the massecuite of the plant from which the product is made after extraction of the sugar crystals…’.

3.3.   Whether reservation of the name is sought under Article 13(2) of Regulation (EC) No 509/2006

3.4.   Type of product

Class 2.3: Confectionery, bread, pastry, cakes, biscuits and other bakers' wares

3.5.   Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff to which the name under point 3.1. applies (Article 3(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1216/2007)

‘Suikerstroop’ is the syrupy liquid obtained from the massecuite of the sugar beet or sugar cane from which the product is made after the extraction of the sugar crystals. This liquid has an extract content of at least 80 %, an ash content of no more than 4,0 % and an apparent purity of at least 73 %. The high dry matter content of the product in combination with its high sugar concentration (more than 60 g per 100 g) means that it has a long shelf life. The sugar ensures that there is a low availability of ‘free water’, which means that no micro-organisms can develop.

The product has the following specific characteristics:

Physical characteristics

‘Suikerstroop’ is a sticky, thick, viscous, dark brown, syrupy liquid. It contains a large quantity of sugar (at least 70 %).

Chemical properties

‘Suikerstroop’ has an apparent purity of at least 73 %. The extract content should be at least 80 %, and the ash content of ‘suikerstroop’ may not be higher than 4 %.

Organoleptic characteristics

‘Suikerstroop’ has a sweet/salty and slightly bitter taste. The sweetness is produced by the high sugar content and the saltiness by the minerals and other (soluble) components from the sugar beet or sugar cane which are found in the syrup as a result of the production process.

3.6.   Description of the production method to which the name under point 3.1 applies

The raw material for ‘suikerstroop’ is the syrupy liquid left behind during the production of sugar from sugar beet or sugar cane after extraction of the sugar crystals.

In the production of granulated sugar, the extraction process involves dissolving the sugars from the sugar beet or sugar cane in water. Other — water-soluble — components (‘non-sugars’) from the sugar beet or sugar cane also dissolve.

This extract is purified, reduced and crystallised. After the sugar solution thus obtained has crystallised, the sugar crystals are extracted. The ‘non-sugars’ are left behind in the remaining sugar solution, also known as the mother liquor (or the syrup or run-off syrup). The mother liquor still contains a lot of dissolved sugar (approximately 85 %). In order to allow the still dissolved sugar to crystallise, the mother liquor is reduced a second time until sugar crystals start to form again. Once more, these crystals are extracted. The remaining syrup is known as B-syrup and contains approximately 75 % sugar (based on dry matter) and relatively higher levels of non-sugars. The B-syrup is the raw material used to produce ‘suikerstroop’.

The B-syrup is fed into a mixing tank to remove impurities. The raw material is treated with activated carbon, absorbing the impurities, which are removed by filtration along with the carbon. The purified B-syrup obtained is the main ingredient of ‘suikerstroop’ To this purified B-syrup sugar solution (solution of sugar in water) and/or invert sugar (syrup) is added in order to comply with the characteristics referred to under 3.5. Invert sugar (syrup) is a syrup obtained by separating sugar (sucrose) into glucose and fructose. The purified (B-)syrup, sugar solution and/or invert sugar (syrup) are mixed to form a homogeneous mass.

In order to obtain ‘suikerstroop’ with the composition described under 3.5, this homogeneous, syrupy mass is evaporated under vacuum until the desired brix value (at least 79°) is achieved.

The syrup is stored in storage tanks, from which it is poured into the various types of packaging.

3.7.   Specific character of the agricultural product or foodstuff

The specific character of ‘suikerstroop’ is attributable to the fact that its qualities differ significantly from other types of syrup such as apple syrup or pear syrup but also from molasses in terms of the following characteristics:

Raw material

‘Suikerstroop’ is distinguished by the fact that the syrup is 100 % derived from sugar beet/cane.

Composition of the sugar

Because the syrup is 100 % derived from sugar beet/cane, it contains hardly any carbohydrates apart from sucrose and invert sugar. The sugar content is at least 70 % (see also characteristics referred to under 3.5). This also distinguishes the syrup from molasses, the sugar content of which is less than 68 %.

Taste

The ‘non-sugars’ in the raw material give ‘suikerstroop’ a salty flavour with a slightly bitter accent. This combines with the high sugar content to produce a sweet/salty taste and aroma that are unique when compared with other types of syrup.

3.8.   Traditional character of the agricultural product or foodstuff

The application for registration is based on the fact that the product is characterised by a traditional production method and a traditional composition.

Traditional production method

Although long ago (from the beginning of the 17th century) ‘suikerstroop’ used to be made by hand, it has been factory-produced since 1908. The factory production method has remained unchanged since then, although the production process has been improved, streamlined and further mechanised. The factories (founded at the beginning of the 20th century, around 1910) are still in operation. They have been internally modernised as technology has advanced.

The 17th, 18th and 19th centuries

Historically, ‘suikerstroop’ is a by-product of sugar refining. De Suikerraffinadeur [The Sugar Refiner] by J.H. Reisig, dating from 1783, describes how syrup was caught in drip pots during the production of sugar loaves. During the crystallisation process, the (viscous) purified sugar massecuite was poured into the sugar loaf moulds. The moulds then stood on drip pots for a couple of days. The syrup that collected was called ‘uncovered’ syrup. The loaves were then covered with wet pipe clay (which promoted the crystallisation process and prevented dissolving) and placed back on the pots. Water was slowly poured over the top and slowly trickled through the loaf. The syrup thus produced was known as ‘covered’ syrup. The covering (dried clay) was then removed, and the sugar loaves were left to stand for a few days, after which they were covered with a layer of thinner pipe clay and placed back on the syrup pots before having water poured over them. The syrup thus obtained was known as naloop syrup (final run-off syrup, which is the purest).

20th century to the present

As progress made in technology (industrialisation) has resulted in an increase in the quantity of granulated sugar which can be obtained during the production process, the melado/molasses (i.e. the syrup) contains more ‘non-sugars’ and less sugar (total sugar content less than 68 %, apparent purity less than 73 %). The accumulation of impurities (owing to the efficiency of the industrial production process) also makes the syrup taste very different, much more salty than the final run-off syrup of the past (the last syrup obtained in the manual production process). However, because there was still a demand for ‘suikerstroop’, it started to be specially produced. The production process was developed in around 1900 (see description in point 3.6), and in 1908 the product started to be made in the way it is today.

Overview of the production method in 1908 and today:

Traditional composition

‘Suikerstroop’ is traditionally composed of the carbohydrates sucrose and invert sugar, which are derived from sugar cane or sugar beet.

The composition of the ‘suikerstroop’ produced today, the requirements for which are described in point 3.9, is the same as that laid down in the Sugar and Syrup (Commodities Act) Decree (1977).

The 1977 Sugar and Syrup (Commodities Act) Decree described the composition as the syrupy liquid obtained from the massecuite of the plant from which the product is made after extraction of the sugar crystals. Furthermore, the extract content had to be at least 80 % and the apparent purity 73 %. The maximum ash content was 4,0 %. The main characteristics of the composition have not changed and are identical to the requirements for the composition of present-day ‘suikerstroop’, as described in point 3.5.

Traditional use

‘Suikerstroop’ is a much-used ingredient in traditional dishes. The series Streekgerechten en wetenswaardigheden [Local Dishes and Interesting Details], Jo van Lamoen, 1987–88, shows that ‘suikerstroop’ is used in many local dishes, such as Groningse kruidkoek, brown beans with apples, Limburgse zoervleisj, Drentse proemenkreuze and Zeeuwse boterbabbelaars. There are also numerous recipes using ‘suikerstroop’ in Het kookboek van de Amsterdamse huishoudschool [The Cookbook of the Amsterdam Domestic Science School] by C.J. Wannée, 6th edition, dating from 1910. Examples of these are boluskoek and stroopmoppen, and stroopsaus (a sauce made from ‘suikerstroop’) was a recommended accompaniment for many dishes, because the ‘traditional’ Dutch recipes were often not the most flavoursome.

3.9.   Minimum requirements and procedures to check the specific character

The specific character of ‘suikerstroop’ can be tested on the basis of the measurable minimum requirements which the syrup's characteristics referred to under 3.5 (colour, brix and total sugars) must meet. The producer checks that the requirements are met in each production batch (during each production run).

The Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) verifies this by means of monitoring of controls. The NVWA carries out an administrative spot check on producers at least once a year by checking the data stored with regard to the colour, brix value and total sugar content (measured by the producer for each production batch and digitally stored).

4.   AUTHORITIES OR BODIES VERIFYING COMPLIANCE WITH THE PRODUCT SPECIFICATION

4.1.   Name and address

4.2.   Specific tasks of the authority or body

The Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority is responsible for verifying compliance with the requirements laid down in the product specification for ‘suikerstroop’.

(*1)  Replaced by Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs.

(1)  Commission Regulation (EC) No 1216/2007 of 18 October 2007 laying down detailed rules for the implementation of Council Regulation (EC) No 509/2006 on agricultural products and foodstuffs as traditional specialities guaranteed (OJ L 275, 19.10.2007, p. 3).

(2)  Measure of the concentration of dissolved solids (in this case sugar) in an aqueous solution determined using a refractometer.

(3)  ICUMSA (International Commission for Uniform Methods of Sugar Analysis) Units. The higher the IU, the darker the colour.

It is an indirect measure of purity.