The Balearic Government will create a seal for products made in the Balearic Islands with ingredients from outside the islands.

PalmThe Balearic Government is working on a new label, "Product Made in the Balearic Islands," which will allow manufacturers to promote their products made in the Islands, even if they use materials and raw materials from elsewhere. The initiative comes after current regulations on local products require that at least 50% of the ingredients be from the Islands for a product to bear the "Product of the Balearic Islands" label. This criterion, which many in the production sector fully understand, excludes many products made in the archipelago but with raw materials from elsewhere. This is the case, for example, with certain cheeses made with imported milk, cookies made with foreign flour, and traditional almond and coffee products that are made with imported ingredients. Although these products have a manufacturing process entirely rooted in the Islands, current regulations prevent them from obtaining official recognition as local products. According to the Director General of Industry, Alfons Gómez, the Balearic Government has made significant progress on the draft of the new seal, which "will allow, for example, a bleach producer to highlight that the process was carried out in the Islands, even if the ingredients used are not." In such a small territory, "it's not easy for raw materials to come from the Balearic Islands, but if processors add value, as is the case with many well-known brands, it's absurd that this cannot be recognized," he told ARA Baleares. "It's possible to differentiate between products with local ingredients and products made in the Islands, with a transparent system that reflects the production phase that does take place in the archipelago," he added. The measure aims to recognize and promote industrial and artisanal activity in the Balearic Islands and make it easier for consumers to identify products made in the Islands, even if they don't meet the 50% local ingredient requirement. It also aims to enhance the visibility of the work of local producers and boost the food and manufacturing industry of the Archipelago. considered by most experts as a catalyst for change in the current economic model, based on tourism monoculture.

"The industry creates stable, quality jobs with higher salaries, but we need to do a lot of educating because otherwise, everything ends up being tourism. We have the tradition and experience to give the industry back its rightful place, but we all need to pull together, both the public and private sectors," emphasizes the CEO of Pora.

What is the Balearic Islands Product seal?

According to regulations, a product can only be labelled as a Product of the Balearic Islands if at least 50% of its ingredients originate from the archipelago. This includes food products such as cheeses, cured meats, almonds, and other fruits, as well as certain manufactured goods. The purpose of this label is to ensure that the consumption of local products also contributes to the agricultural and industrial economy of the Islands, promote local production, and recognize the quality and identity of the territory. However, many products manufactured entirely in the Islands do not meet this requirement, as they use imported raw materials. This has prompted the initiative for the new "Product Made in the Islands" label. Exceptions and special cases apply.

Current regulations include some exceptions where products with less than 50% local ingredients can, under specific criteria, display the "Local Product" label. This applies, for example, to products with a key ingredient not produced in the Balearic Islands that is essential for their production (such as certain grains or spices). Artisanal and traditional products with historical and cultural recognition in the Balearic Islands are also considered "Local Products." With the new "Product Made in the Islands" label, the Balearic Government aims to broaden this flexibility and formally recognize the efforts of local producers who work with imported raw materials but carry out the entire production process in the Balearic Islands.