Photo: BMLFUW/Rita Newman
Schneebergland Jungrind
Record Number: 112
Disclosure Date
It is presumed that cattle husbandry in this region dates back to the end of the 12th century.
Photo: BMLFUW/A...
Schneebergland Jungrind
Abstract or claim
The breeding of Schneebergland Jungrind is the result of traditional knowledge of breeding and extensive cattle husbandry in the area Schneebergland, Lower Austria.
Typical of Schneebergland Jungrind beef is its excellent taste, fine marbling, light red colour and a particular tenderness due to a special maturing process.
Schneebergland Jungrind is a crossbreed between domestic Fleckvieh and French Charolais cattle or a crossbreed between domestic Fleckvieh and the Limousin breed.
Schneebergland Jungrind cattle are kept using suckler cow husbandry and are born, raised and slaughtered exclusively in the Schneebergland region.
The environmentally friendly and soil-conserving management of the farms and alpine pastures makes a significant contribution to the sustainable preservation of the alpine landscape of the region.
Name of product, Product class
Beef, fresh meat
Name of region
Schneebergland, Lower Austria, Austria
Field of search
Food and agriculture
Name of information provider
Johann Steiner
Verein „Beef-Ring Schneebergland – Bucklige Welt“
(Beef-Ring Schneebergland – Bucklige Welt Association)
Name of applicant for title
---
Holder of knowledge or associated resources
42 members of the Schneebergland-Beef Association
Grantee(s), holder(s), assignee(s) or owner(s) of title, if any
---
Descriptors
- History:
In the 5th millennium BC, natural alpine pastures above the timberline were already in use in Austria.
Alpine pasture farming began in the 7th century AD and continued to develop.
In the Middle Ages by the turn of the 13th century, the rising demand for properties resulted in year-round inhabited settlements at higher altitudes.
Around 1700, numerous alpine areas were sold to gentries, farmers, and businessmen for use as alpine pastures, hunting areas and forestry.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, numerous alpine pastures, including the Schneebergland region, were grazed by cattle.
Cattle husbandry in the region
The beginning of cattle husbandry in the region around the Bucklige Welt (Lower Austria) must have taken place at the same time as the clearing of the forests by the Zigersberger noble family (end of the 12th century/beginning of the 13th century).
At the beginning of the 1970s, suckler cow husbandry started to be used and gradually spread throughout Austria.
The first crossbreeds of today’s Schneebergland Jungrind can be traced back to a breeder from Kirschschlag in the Bucklige Welt region who started crossing cattle around 1985.
In 1992, the production and marketing association Beef-Ring Schneebergland – Bucklige Welt was founded, which has 42 members today. In the same year, the word/picture trademark "Schneebergland" (umbrella brand) was registered at the Austrian Patent Office.
In 2009, the association’s name was changed to Schneebergland Jungrind Region of Delight.
- Region:
Photo: BMLFUW/Rita Newman
The production area is situated around the Schneeberg (2,076m), the highest mountain of Lower Austria, and includes the hills of the Bucklige Welt region, the area around the Wechsel up to the Hohe Wand and the Schneebergland.
The Schneeberg is located in the Lower Austrian/Styrian limestone alps.
The grazing areas of the Schneebergland Jungrind are situated at 400 to 1200 metres above sea level.
Soil and climatic conditions:
Soils consist of limestone, dolomite and tertiary rubble.
The Schneebergland region lies in the climatic transition zone between the humid climate at the edges of the Alps with high precipitation to the Pannonian climate at the eastern edge of the Alps with lower precipitation which features a distinctive precipitation gradient from west to east.
The Wechsel region, a low mountain range at the border between Lower Austria and Styria, functions as a meteorological divide characterised by significantly higher precipitation in both summer and winter.
Normally, summers are mild and winters are cold with abundant snowfall.
The annual precipitation is about 1000 mm.
The regional climatic and soil conditions result in a mountain flora which is characterised by a great diversity of alpine plants.
The specific diversity of grasses and herbs in the fodder and the hay provides the basis for the unique taste of Schneebergland Jungrind.
Extensive cattle husbandry contributes to the stability of the vegetation cover and to an improved water storage capacity of the soil.
- Schneebergland Jungrind:
Photo: BMLFUW/Rita Newman
Only combined dual-purpose breeds, i.e. Fleckvieh and crosses thereof, may be used as dams. Crossbreeding of the dams is only allowed with the male Charolais and Limousin breeds. Both dams and sires are born in the region.
Description of the breed:
Fleckvieh is the breed used most often in suckler cow husbandry in Austria. Characteristic of Fleckvieh is a white head which is a dominant trait also inherited by crossbreeds in the F1 generation. The body is single-coloured or spotted with a light yellow to dark red colour; the lower parts of the legs are always white. Cows reach a height at the withers of about 140 cm and weigh about 650 to 800 kg. Bulls reach 150 cm and up to 1300 kg live weight. The benefits of the dual-purpose cow are its good milk yield, good dam qualities and its suitability as a mother breed in crossbreeding with meat breed animals.
The large-framed Charolais cattle originally come from France and are white. This breed has the highest daily weight gain, and thanks to their late maturation, they can be fattened up to a high end weight since this breed rarely becomes fat.
The auburn to reddish-yellow French Limousin breed is a little bit smaller and matures earlier than the Charolais. It gains a little less weight per day during the fattening process.
Method of production:
Breeding/fattening:
Animals have to be kept in a way which ensures their welfare at every stage of their life.
In winter, the calves grow up in free stall barns (barns where the cattle can move around) next to their mother; in summer, the animals freely graze on pastures and meadows in the region. About 1.5 hectares of grazing land is available per head of cattle.
The animals are well adapted to the climatic and soil conditions.
The dam is inseminated in a natural way.
During calving, the sire is not separated from the herd.
Calving occurs throughout the entire year, although most calves are born in the spring months. Right after they are born, the animals are taken out to the pasture and remain there until they are slaughtered at the age of 10 to 12 months.
Feeding:
From their birth to the time of slaughter, the calves are suckled by the dam and receive only grass or hay as additional feed.
Food for the adult animals comes solely from the farm’s own pastures.
It is not allowed to use fattening feed – neither for the dam nor for the young animals. Schneebergland-Beef is produced without soy and thus consumers can be sure that absolutely no genetic engineering is involved.
In particular, the cattle are not fed with feed which is required to be labelled according to the new EU Labelling Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003.
Cattle may not be kept on slatted floors.
Transport and slaughter:
Every year, about 1000 animals are slaughtered, about 600 of which are bought by a bulk purchaser and then delivered to speciality meat shops. The rest are marketed by the farmers themselves.
The animals are slaughtered without stress in the region at the EU slaughterhouse Höller in Zöbern, after which they are immediately delivered to the headquarters of the Radatz company in Wien-Erdberg and to two local butcher’s shops where they are professionally cut up.
Maturing:
The meat is matured both at the slaughterhouse Höller in Zöbern and at the Radatz company.
Due to a special, patented maturing process (Genuss-Plus-Reifung), the meat becomes particularly tender. In this process, all the pieces of meat from the animal are arranged very closely next to each other in a container. A heavy plate is placed on top and then they are stored for 21 days at 0 to -2° C. During this time, the structure loosens up in a natural way and the fat marbling and juice in each piece are fully preserved.
Description of the meat:
Meat from Schneebergland Jungrind comes from animals that are 10 to 12 months old and weigh about 280 to 350 kg at this point of time (slaughter weight 180 to 240 kg).
The meat comes exclusively from cattle that was born and raised in the Schneeberg/Bucklige Welt region.
Schneebergland Jungrind meat is distinguished by fine marbling from fat deposits between the muscles. It has a smooth, fine texture and pink to light red colour. Together with the optimal maturing of the meat, these characteristics are responsible for the excellent taste, juiciness and tenderness of the meat after it is prepared. The meat has a unique aroma and taste which are directly connected to the local alpine flora in the feed.
Its flavour is especially aromatic and tasty. The meat is very lean, tender, fine-grained and easy to digest.
Schneebergland Jungrind has achieved meat classes “E”, “U" and “R” according to the EUROP classification, and classes 1 and 2 in fat content.
Nutrition:
The meat of mountain cattle is of particular high quality. It has a high amount of healthy essential macronutrients (high-quality protein) and micronutrients (vitamins B1, B6 and B12, iron, selenium, and zinc) and is rich in conjugated linoleic acids.
As has been proved, beef from the Schneebergland region has a positive effect on cholesterol level and performance.
Proof of origin:
Schneebergland Jungrind is identified by official ear tags in accordance with the Tierkennzeichnungs- und Registrierungsverordnung 2007 (Austrian Animal Identification and Registration Ordinance) and is registered in a database.
The traceability of the cattle and the cattle farm at the point of sale is ensured by the “bos” system of AMA (Austria Agrar Marketing). The “bos” symbol is a label for beef that guarantees full traceability from the birth of the animal to the serving of the meat.
- Quality control:
Live cattle and half carcasses are controlled by veterinaries in accordance with legal regulations.
The outstanding quality of Schneebergland Jungrind meat is the result of strict guidelines that are monitored for production (breeding, feeding, natural keeping and stress-free slaughter), processing and marketing.
Since the meat can be bought directly from the farmer, the consumers can be satisfied that the quality is strictly controlled.
In the production of sausage from Schneebergland Jungrind meat, all ingredients – from beef to water to seasonings – are self-monitored and permanently controlled from the outside by official veterinaries and food chemists.
- Marketing:
Schneebergland Jungrind meat is marketed by the bulk purchaser Radatz AG and two local butcher’s shops.
There are also about 40 self-marketers, who either deliver the meat or sell it directly on their farms.
Connection with the geographical area and traditional knowledge:
- Special soil and climatic conditions in the Schneebergland region enable
the extensive keeping of cattle on alpine pastures
- Traditional, characteristic keeping systems: Extensive keeping of herds
and use of alpine pastures during the growing season.
- In harmony with the native soil: The cattle are fed with mother's milk,
alpine pasture grass, herbs and pure and fresh spring water from the
alpine region.
- Thanks to this pasture management, beef with a characteristic texture
and marbling can be produced. The meat boasts a unique aroma and taste
which are directly connected to the local alpine flora in the feed.
- The rearing of Schneebergland Jungrind is the result of traditional knowledge
which has been passed on from generation to generation: Traditional
knowledge of and experience in cattle husbandry (adapting the keeping of
the herd to environmental conditions, historical selection of local breeds,
know-how of the shepherds, method of beef production, improvement of the
genetic make-up), know-how of the butchers (animal transport, experience
in slaughtering and cutting up meat, special meat maturing process), and
the experience of the producers’ organisation (Schneebergland-Beef
Association) as well as marketers.
- Utilisation:
Photo: BMLFUW/Rita Newman
- Protection:
-
Key Words
Food and agriculture, traditional knowledge, Austria, region, Lower Austria, Schneeberg, Schneebergland, beef, Schneebergland Jungrind
Bibliography / References
- Biorindfleisch: Richtlinien - Produktion - Struktur - Markt
Abschlussbericht, Wien, Januar 2003
- Ein Rindvieh als Botschafter. Schneebergland Jungrind als
regionales Aushängeschild
http://www.starke-marken.at/profi14.asp
- Industrieviertel
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrieviertel
- Marke "Schneebergrind"
http://www.schneebergland.at/
- RADATZ Genuß Plus. Qualität hat einen Namen.
Das Radatz Schneebergbeef
http://www.wau.boku.ac.at/fileadmin/_/H73/H733/pub/Biolandbau/2003_Biorindfleisch.pdf
- Schneebergland Jungrind
www.genuss-region.at
- Schneeberg (Alps)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schneeberg_(Alps)
- Schneeberg (Niederösterreich)
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schneeberg_(Nieder%C3%B6sterreich)
- W. KILIAN, F. MÜLLER, F. STARLINGER
FDK:182.3: Die forstlichen Wuchsgebiete Österreichs.
Eine Naturraumgliederung nach waldökologischen Gesichtspunkten
http://bfw.ac.at/300/pdf/1027.pdf
- Wiener Neustadt
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiener_Neustadt
All internet references last accessed on 23. Februar 2009.
Language Code
German
Product of www.genuss-region.at
Yes
Regional contact
Johann Steiner
Association “Beef-Ring Schneebergland – Bucklige Welt“
Klingfurt 1
2802 Bromberg
Phone.: 02627 48404
e-mail: steiner.almhof@aon.at
Authors: Eva Sommer, Erhard Höbaus
02.11.2011, Lebensministerium III/4