Carne da Charneca DOP

Description: Carne da Charneca PDO beef is made from  Preta (“Gado da Terra”) breed of cattle. It's a meat with white to yellowish white fat, depending the animal age. Has a dark rose to dark red color.

Production method: The cows are reared in extensively method, having access to the different pastures and fodders as hay and straw. In periods of food scarcity they are fed on supplementary feed from farm products. 

Distinctive features: Cattle of the Preta breed has dark coat and mucous. Its quality meat is due the edapho-climatic conditions along Tago River in Alto Alentejo, which makes possible its breeding and the preservation of pastures. 

The Carne da Charneca PDO beef can be sold as: “carne de vitela” from cows slaughtered weighing between 120 kg and 200 kg and as “carne de novilho”, cows slaughtered between 200 kg and 400 kg. 

Production area: Carne da Charneca PDO beef is produced in the councils of the districts of Beja, Évora, Portalegre, Santarém and Setúbal.

History: The Preta cattle breed is descended of autochthonous Bos Taurus Ibericus breed. The name is due its emergence in “Charnecas” of the Alentejo and Ribatejo Region.
In 1990 was refered as mixed race for farm work, by Cinccinato Costa and Luiz de Castro. 
Later, the morphological features were fixed and described in the “Padrão da Raça Bovina Preta”, by Associação de Criadores de Bovinos da Raça Preta.

Product specification (pdf)

Geographical area

Producer group

Control and certification body
AGRICERT - Certificação de Produtos Alimentares, Lda.

Publication in EU official journal
Reg. (CE) n.º 1495/2002– L225 21.08.2002

Publication in the Portuguese official journal
Despacho n.º 9165/2011, de 20 de julho 
Aviso n.º 11694/2009, de 02 de julho