The European Commission has approved the first protected designation of origin (PDO) from Iceland for Icelandic lamb.

Íslenskt lambakjöt is referred to as meat from purebred Icelandic lambs, which have been born, raised and slaughtered on the island of Iceland.

Iceland has a long and rich cultural tradition of sheep farming.

The characteristics of the lamb consist of a high degree of tenderness and a gamey taste, according to the European Commission.

"This is primarily due to the fact that lambs roam freely in demarcated wild rangelands and grow in the wild, natural surroundings of Iceland," it added.

Study

In a comparison study from six European countries - England, Iceland, Spain, France, Italy and Greece - the European project on lamb found that Icelandic lamb is richer than the other types of lamb, in terms of the amount and percentage of omega-3 fatty acids.

This can be traced back to the fatty acid composition of the fodder and grazing vegetation that has an effect on the percentage of omega-3 fatty acids in both the fat layers and the muscles of the lambs.

This high percentage of fatty acids can be associated with Iceland’s Arctic climate.

In addition, it was considered that a difference in muscle fiber between stock was a factor.

This new PDO will be added to the list of 1,614 agricultural products already protected by the European Commission.