FDBusiness.com

The Cornish Pasty Association has received Protected Geographical Indication status for its world famous pasty. The decision from the European Commission means that only Cornish pasties made in Cornwall and following the traditional recipe can now be called ‘Cornish pasties’.

The CPA, which represents more than 50 pasty makers based in Cornwall, submitted the application for PGI in 2002 to protect the quality and reputation of the Cornish pasty and to ensure that only Cornish bakers who make genuine Cornish pasties use this denomination when selling and marketing their produce. Authentic Cornish pasties can still be baked elsewhere in the country but they will need to be prepared in Cornwall.

David Rodda from the Cornwall Development Company and spokesperson for the CPA, comments: “Receiving protected status for the Cornish pasty is good news for consumers but also for the rural economy. By protecting our regional food heritage, we are protecting local jobs. Thousands of people in Cornwall are involved in the pasty industry, from farmers to producers, and it’s important that the product’s quality is protected for future generations.”

Alan Adler, chairman of the CPA, adds: “By guaranteeing the quality of the Cornish pasty, we are helping to protect our British food legacy. We lag far behind other European countries like France and Italy, that have hundreds of food products protected, and it’s important that we value our foods just as much.”

A genuine Cornish pasty has a distinctive ‘D’ shape and is crimped on one side, never on top. The texture of the filling is chunky, made up of uncooked minced or roughly cut chunks of beef (not less than 12.5%), swede, potato, onion with a light seasoning. The pastry casing is golden in colour, savoury, glazed with milk or egg and robust enough to retain its shape throughout the cooking and cooling process without splitting or cracking. The pasty is slow-baked and no artificial flavourings or additives must be used. It must also be made in Cornwall.