Agneau de l'Aveyron

Agneau de l'Aveyron is a PGI covering lamb carcases produced in the Department of Aveyron and adjacent cantons. The designation requires rearing of the Lacaune breed in a sheep-fold and feeding on the dam's milk for at least 70 days. Each carcase carries an individual identification number traceable to the animal's ring tag and a certificate of origin.

About this designation

Agneau de l'Aveyron was registered as a PGI on 21 June 1996 under file number PGI-FR-0186, with eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000013202. The geographical area is defined as the Department of Aveyron and adjacent cantons. The specification requires that lambs belong to the local hardy Lacaune breed, which is native to the region. Animals must be reared in a sheep-fold and fed on milk from their own dam for at least 70 days. The specification describes the carcases as having an average weight of 17 kg and characterises the meat as rose-pink, tender and tasty. Traceability is maintained through an individual numbered ring tag applied to each lamb; that number is carried forward onto the carcase and onto a certificate of origin attached to it. The applicant group at the time of registration was the Association des producteurs ovins viande de l'Aveyron, based in Rignac. The control body named in the specification is ARQUALIM, located in Castanet Tolosan. Labelling must display the protected name and the name and address of the certifying body. The link to geographical origin is grounded in the traditional sheep-fold rearing practices of the area and in the established presence of the Lacaune breed, whose birthplace the region is considered to be.

Source: The register document this entry was written from · retrieved August 26, 2026

Distinctive facts

• Registered as a PGI on 21 June 1996 under file number PGI-FR-0186 (eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000013202).
• The specification requires lambs to be fed on milk from their own dam for at least 70 days.
• Only the Lacaune breed qualifies; the specification identifies the Aveyron region as the birthplace of that breed.
• Each carcase must carry an individual number traceable to the animal's ring tag, accompanied by a certificate of origin.

Tasting notes

Aveyron lamb IGP from Roquefort sheep-area farming (Lacaune breed primarily, lacaune-laitière for Roquefort). Lean pink meat, delicate sweet flavor with grass-fed character.

HoReCa use

Classic preparations include gigot, côtes, and navarin, with traditional service at Easter and in spring.

Packaging

• carcass-half-10-15kg
• primal-cuts-vacuum-various
• gigot-2-3kg
• côtes-rack-800g-1.2kg
• épaule-1-1.5kg

Seasonality