Agneau de Sisteron

Agneau de Sisteron is a fresh young lamb, between 70 and 150 days old, born and raised on sheep farms within a defined area of south-eastern France and slaughtered in an EC-approved slaughterhouse within that same area. The designation covers carcases, cuts, fresh half-carcases, cuts ready for dressing, and pieces for sale to the consumer.

About this designation

Registered as a PGI on 15 October 2003 under file number PGI-FR-0316 (eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000013474), Agneau de Sisteron covers fresh lamb produced within a precisely delimited geographical area encompassing the whole of the Departments of Hautes-Alpes and Alpes de Haute-Provence, together with specified parts of the Departments of Alpes Maritimes, Var, Bouches du Rhône, Vaucluse, and Drôme. The lambs must be born and raised on the same sheep farm, whose headquarters must lie within that area, and must be slaughtered in an EC-approved slaughterhouse also located within it. Breeding flocks must consist of rams and ewes of three local hardy breeds — Mérinos d'Arles, Préalpes du Sud, and Mourérous — or crosses of these breeds; rams of the breeds Ile de France, Charolais, Suffolk, or Berrichon only may be used for meat production. Livestock density is limited to 1.4 LU per ha of total feed-crop area. Lambs are fed on their mothers' milk only for at least 60 days and must remain with their mothers for at least 60 days. At least 45 % of the feed received during their lives must originate in the PGI area. Silage may not be given to lambs, and the administering of antibiotics as a preventive measure is banned. Traceability is ensured and checked by the independent inspection body QUALISUD, based in Agen. Labelling must carry the indication Indication Géographique Protégée and the name Agneau de Sisteron.

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

Distinctive facts

• Registered as a PGI on 15 October 2003 under file number PGI-FR-0316, eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000013474.
• Only three local hardy breeds — Mérinos d'Arles, Préalpes du Sud, and Mourérous — or their crosses may form the breeding flock; no other ewe breeds are permitted.
• Silage may not be given to lambs, and the preventive use of antibiotics is banned under the specification.
• At least 45 % of the feed received by lambs during their lives must originate within the PGI geographical area.

Tasting notes

Provençal lamb IGP from Alpes-de-Haute-Provence. Lean pink meat with characteristic Provençal-herb-grazed flavor (thyme, rosemary, savory).

HoReCa use

**Provençal restaurant signature** — gigot d'agneau aux herbes; pairs with Côtes-du-Rhône Villages and Bandol.

Packaging

• Same as other lamb IGPs

Seasonality