Protected Designation of Origin

The important course for anchovy colatura, projected towards the recognition of the Protected Designation of Origin, officially begins on October 28th 2015. In compliance with the indications provided by the European Union Regulation no. 1151/2012 (on the quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuff) was established the specific Association for the Valorization of Cetara anchovy colatura. It is a promoter organization that brings together three producers, three restaurateurs and two shipowners from Cetara.

Anchovy fishing in the Gulf of Salerno; respect for the traditional rules for the transformation of anchovies: these are the fundamental aspects that have been incorporated in the draft production specification approved in March 2016, an indispensable tool for defending against imitations.
The association, in addition to having the full support of the City of Cetara, makes use of the collaboration of a scientific technical committee.
A Presentation Document has been drafted and sent to the Ministry for Agricultural and Forestry Policies and to the Campania Region, which, based on the contents of the historical and the technical reports, summarizes the essential elements of the Cetara anchovy colatura product to support the request of the PDO; a first obstacle has been overcome by receiving a favorable opinion from the Campania Region to the request for registration of the PDO.

In July 2019, a public assessment meeting was held for the request for registration of the PDO denomination “Colatura di Alici di Cetara”. All the parties interested in the operation met and the public hearing with relative reading of the production specification concluded the “Italian” process towards obtaining the PDO mark.

After this appointment, the path included the publication in the Official Journal for thirty days and then the passage of the practice in the hands of the European Commission for the last part of the process.

On Monday 22 June 2020, the application for registration of the Protected Designation of Origin for anchovy colatura was published in the European Official Journal (C208), pursuant to EC Community Regulation no. 1151/12, relating to the protection of designations of origin typical of agri-food products.

On 21 October 2020, the process for the recognition of the PDO at the “Colatura di Alici di Cetara” was completed with the publication in the European Official Journal. Colatura di Alici di Cetara is the first product in Italy to boast the DOP mark for fishery products.