Agneau du Poitou-Charentes

Agneau du Poitou-Charentes is fresh lamb born, raised, and slaughtered within a defined area centred on the Poitou-Charentes region of France. Lambs must be under ten months old, carry EUR conformation, a fat level of 2 to 3, and a carcass weight of between 14 and 22 kg, with light-coloured flesh and firm, light-coloured fat.

About this designation

Agneau du Poitou-Charentes is registered as a PGI under file number PGI-FR-9177, with EU protection granted on 19 July 2003. The geographical area covers the four departments of Poitou-Charentes — Charente, Charente-Maritime, Deux-Sèvres and Vienne — and extends to named neighbouring municipalities in Haute-Vienne, Dordogne, Vendée, Maine et Loire, Indre et Loire and Indre. Lambs must be born and raised on the same holding within this area and slaughtered in approved slaughterhouses located within it. Each lamb is individually identified within three days of birth with a unique number encoding the holding's departmental and municipal codes and the lamb's serial number. This identification number travels with the animal to the point of carcass sale; the slaughterhouse weigh ticket records the lamb number, the holding number, and a code assigned to each certifiable lamb. Certified carcasses carry Agneau du Poitou-Charentes disks attached to the legs. If a carcass is cut, it receives a cutting batch number. Lambs are fed on the dam's milk for at least 60 days, then on grass according to seasonal availability. Permitted breeds include the indigenous Charmoise and, as more common breeding stock, Ile de France, Mouton Charollais, Mouton Vendéen Rouge de l'Ouest, Suffolk and Texel. The inspection body is QUALISUD, based in Mont de Marsan. Labels must carry the geographical reference 'Nés, élevés et abattus en Poitou Charentes'.

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

Distinctive facts

• Registered as a PGI on 19 July 2003 under file number PGI-FR-9177, eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000013492.
• Carcass weight must be between 14 and 22 kg, with EUR conformation and a fat level of 2 to 3.
• Each lamb is individually identified within three days of birth; the identification number accompanies the animal to the point of carcass sale.
• Lambs must be fed on the dam's milk for at least 60 days before transitioning to grass.

Tasting notes

Poitou-Charentes lamb IGP.

HoReCa use

Western France regional lamb preparations.

Packaging

• Same as other lamb IGPs

Seasonality