Three Appenzell meat specialties to be protected by law

Specialty sausage Appenzeller Siedwurst, pictured, is one of the three newly protected meats. Wikimedia Commons/Author Schofför/ Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

The Swiss Federal Office of Agriculture has added three unique meat products from the Appenzell region to a national register, which legally protects the connection between the dishes and their geographical origin.

The addition to the agriculture office’s list of Protected Geographical Indications (PGI), announced Thursday, means that the three meat products – Appenzeller Mostbröckli, Pantli and Siedwurst – are now protected in Switzerland as well as in the European Union.

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Mostbröckli is a round, salty meat dish made with cuts of smoked then dried beef. Pantli is a dried sausage made of raw meat that tastes strongly of garlic and comes in a distinct rectangular shape. Finally, Siedwurst is a scalded sausage that can be served raw, cooked or pasteurised. It is notable for its taste of cumin and garlic.

The culinary traditions behind these three specialties of eastern Switzerland date back to the 19^th century, the agriculture office noted in its press releaseExternal link.

The PGI list is intended to safeguard the authenticity of agricultural products whose identity and characteristics are determined by their origin. It means that similar foods produced elsewhere cannot legally be sold under the names on the list.

According to the Federal Office of Agriculture website: “When a name is protected, its use is reserved for producers of the defined geographical area, provided that they respect a precise specification. The regulations in this area allow the mutual recognition of quality products between Switzerland and the European Union.”