A plot record identifies each parcel farmed (referencing, date of plantation, etc.) and details the different operations carried out in the fi eld: looping, pruning, weeding, treatments, pollination, thinning, and harvesting.
Monitoring sheets accompany each batch of vanilla during processing, with a batch being made up of all beans harvested in one calendar week or by all beans harvested by one single producer.
• A harvesting sheet identifying the producers at the origin of the batch
• A processing sheet detailing the operations applied to each batch: killing, sweating, drying, and sorting
• A maturing sheet monitoring the aromatic development of the beans
• A storage sheet monitoring stabilized batches awaiting sale
• A conditioning sheet monitoring the packaging of beans
Finally, stock records are kept, mentioning the quantities of incoming green vanilla and outgoing black vanilla for certifiable and noncertifiable batches.
Method for Producing Vanilla under the PGI
Characteristics of Production
Producers must sign a commitment agreement with A2VR in which they undertake to comply with the specifications of the PGI. They must of course be situated in the geographical production area of the PGI (the east coast of the island). The plantation must only contain V. planifolia plants from referenced parcels or registered nurseries. The planting density must not exceed 5000 plants/ha. Three types of plantations are authorized: woodland planting, in fields, or under shade houses with no irrigation. Plot maintenance is carried out mechanically in crop rows and mechanically or chemically between rows. The vanilla plants may only be fertilized using organic matter (compost, natural organic substrates, etc.); chemical fertilizers of any kind are forbidden. Vines must be looped at least once a year. The pollination of flowers must be adapted to the robustness of the plant and should never exceed 15 flowers per inflorescence. Harvesting shall take place when the beans have reached optimum ripeness, in other words when the tip of the bean turns yellow. Finally, storage of beans after harvesting is limited to 72 h. Beans produced under the PGI must be at least 14 cm long and should be split for no more than 3 cm. Any beans that fail to meet these criteria are systematically downgraded.
Characteristics of Processing
Each processing unit must be referenced and situated within the geographical area of the PGI. The first stage of processing involves killing the beans on arrival to prevent them from splitting (the beans dehisce when ripe) and thereby losing their qualities. This operation involves immersing the beans in water heated to 65°C for 3 min (a technique known as the “Reunionese process”). After draining, the hot beans are placed in boxes lined with blankets for 24 h; this is the sweating phase, during which the beans lose some of their moisture. They then turn a chocolate brown color. Next comes the drying phase to ensure the beans have a moisture content that will enable them to be preserved. Drying is divided into three stages: first, discontinuous oven drying at 65°C (which is in fact an optional step), then sun drying between 5 and 15 days depending on the stage at which beans were harvested and their consistency, and finally shade drying on wire racks to ensure the beans dry slowly, which makes them supple and oily. During this drying phase, the beans are sorted at regular intervals according to dryness. Dry beans are put into maturing boxes and the others returned to the drying cycle. This maturing phase is very important for the development of the aromatic qualities. To benefit from the designation, PGI beans must be kept in maturing boxes for at least seven months. Regular inspections must be made to check the state of the beans (removing any that are moldy). Once the aromatic maturing is finished, the beans are graded and then packed in bundles before the final storage. They will be packaged as required for sale. Each package must be hermetically sealed and must have a label stating not only the references required by the consumer code (designation of the product, net quantity, producer references, production batch number), but also certification references (the PGI “Vanille de l’île de la Réunion” logo, the name and address of A2VR, and the name and address of the certifying organization).
Strict Controls to Guarantee the Product’s Certification
The PGI is held by A2VR rather than its individual members, who are only users of the designation. The association must therefore make every effort to ensure that the specifications are met and thereby protect the designation.
The different stages of production and processing are set out in the specifications. Compliance with these specifications by the producers and processors that benefit from the label is monitored at several levels. An initial internal inspection is conducted by an A2VR technician, who goes on-site to meet the producers and guarantee compliance of plots and farming practices used. The technician also inspects each processing unit, checks the processing parameters, conducts the necessary tests (vanillin and moisture content, etc.), and inspects the bean monitoring sheets (harvesting, processing, maturing, storage, and conditioning), and stock accounting. This internal inspection, carried out by A2VR, is supervised by an external inspection conducted by an official certifying organization, in this case Organisme Certificateur Tropique Réunion Océan Indien (OCTROI), which carries out spot checks on producers, examining documentation, and plantations to ensure internal inspections are conducted satisfactorily. It is the certifying organization that maintains or denies certification of PGI products depending on the results of its annual inspections.