Porc du Sud-Ouest

Fresh pork from pigs born and raised in the Aquitaine, Midi-Pyrénées, and Poitou-Charentes regions of France, fed a minimum of 30 % dent maize throughout the fattening period. The specification sets minimum warm carcass weight, ultimate pH range, and colour score requirements, distinguishing the product from standard French pork by its fatty acid profile and meat colour.

About this designation

Porc du Sud-Ouest is registered as a PGI under file number PGI-FR-0909, with EU protection granted on 7 November 2011 (eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000013966). The protected name as registered is 'Porc du Sud-Ouest'. The geographical area covers three administrative regions: Aquitaine, Midi-Pyrénées, and Poitou-Charentes. All stages of rearing — birth, post-weaning, and fattening — must take place within this area. The fattening period begins 12 weeks after birth. From weaning to slaughter, feed must contain a minimum of 60 % cereal grains and their products and by-products. During the fattening period, feed must contain at least 30 % dent maize and between 1,1 % and 1,7 % linoleic acid; palm oil, fish products, animal fat, and growth-promoting additives are prohibited. Manioc, sweet potato, swill, meat-and-bone meal, feathers, blood, and other proteins from land animals are excluded from feed throughout the entire rearing period. Pigs must be slaughtered at a minimum warm carcass weight of 90 kg, with a 3 kg tolerance during the period from 1 June to 30 September. Carcasses must have an ultimate pH of between 5,5 and 6,2. Loins must achieve a colour score of 3 to 6 on the Japanese colour scale. The distance between farm and slaughterhouse must not exceed 200 km or six hours of transport. Labelling must include the name 'Porc du Sud-Ouest' and the European Union's PGI logo in colour.

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

Distinctive facts

• Registered as a PGI on 7 November 2011 under file number PGI-FR-0909 (eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000013966); the protected name is 'Porc du Sud-Ouest'.
• Feed during the fattening period must contain at least 30 % dent maize and between 1,1 % and 1,7 % linoleic acid; palm oil is expressly prohibited.
• Minimum warm carcass weight at slaughter is 90 kg, with a 3 kg tolerance from 1 June to 30 September; there is no upper weight limit.
• Transport from farm to slaughterhouse must not exceed 200 km or six hours, a requirement linked directly to limiting stress and protecting ultimate pH.

Tasting notes

South-west France free-range pork IGP from heritage breeds. Pink-red meat with golden marbling, robust flavor from chestnut/corn-feed-and-pasture grazing — the foundation pork of cassoulet and south-west cuisine.

HoReCa use

Cassoulet de Castelnaudary base pork; magret-style preparations; charcuterie processing including jambon de Bayonne and saucisson.

Packaging

• carcass-half-40-50kg
• primal-cuts-vacuum-various
• longe-1-2kg
• échine-1kg
• jambon-frais-9-12kg