Agneau du Périgord

Agneau du Périgord is a fresh lamb produced within a defined area centred on the Dordogne and adjoining cantons of Corrèze, Lot, and Lot-et-Garonne. Lambs are slaughtered between 80 and 180 days old, suckled by their mothers for at least 60 days, and finished on grain and fodder, yielding a carcase weighing between 15 and 21 kg.

About this designation

Registered as a PGI on 10 July 2008 under file number PGI-FR-0711 (eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000013825), Agneau du Périgord covers fresh lamb born and reared within a geographical area comprising the municipalities of Dordogne (excluding the La Force and Sigoulès cantons), specified cantons of Corrèze, Lot, and Lot-et-Garonne. Rams must be drawn from the following meat breeds: Berrichon, Charollais, Ile de France, Rouge de l'Ouest, Suffolk, and Texel. Ewes must be pure-bred hardy breeds — Lacaune viande, Blanche du Massif central, or INRA 401 — or semi-hardy crosses between those hardy breeds and the permitted meat breeds. Lambs are suckled by their mothers on demand from birth for at least 60 days; weaning typically occurs between 80 and 90 days. During the finishing stage, supplemental feed consists of cereals such as barley, wheat, and corn, together with a nitrogen supplement. Carcases must fall within the EUROP conformation classes E, U, or R, with fat cover graded 2 or 3 on the EUROP scale. Journey time from holding to slaughterhouse must be less than eight hours. The specification requires that all breeders be identified by the inspection body and that the location of each holding within the area be verified. The fat of qualifying carcases is white and firm; the meat is light in colour when sold fresh.

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

Distinctive facts

• Registered as a PGI on 10 July 2008 under file number PGI-FR-0711, eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000013825.
• Lambs must be slaughtered between 80 and 180 days old with a carcase weight of between 15 and 21 kg.
• Suckling by the mother must last at least 60 days; the specification permits no other suckling arrangement during that period.
• Only six ram breeds are permitted: Berrichon, Charollais, Ile de France, Rouge de l'Ouest, Suffolk, and Texel.

Tasting notes

Périgord lamb IGP. Delicate flesh with characteristic walnut-region flavor.

HoReCa use

The source records that Agneau du Périgord lamb meat is a festive delicacy in Périgord eaten especially at Christmas and Easter, and that it features in local cuisine in many forms.

Packaging

• Same as other lamb IGPs

Seasonality