The first thing we have to look at is THE LABEL

The labelling of any type of food should provide the consumers with some details which guarantee that the product to be bought suits their desired expectations and preferences. Thus, the label must be clear, understandable, its presence must be compulsory and it must tell the truth, not leading to mistake or error. In the case of the Espárrago de Navarra, the label shows several issues that will be a guideline for us, so that we can differentiate the asparagus belonging to the Protected Geographical Indication from those which are not:

• Logotype

  Just the products included in the Protected Geographical Indication will be able to show the logotype and the numbered label provided by the Regulatory Board. There are some cans or jars which use similar symbols that read: "Guarantee of Quality", "Thank you for choosing national a product", etc. The asparagus labelled in this way ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THE PROTECTED GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATION “ESPÁRRAGO DE NAVARRA”. See number 1.

• Name of the product

  Just the products included in the Protected Geographical Indication “Espárrago de Navarra” can have the words DE NAVARRA on their labels. Some cans or jars use the name of some village of Navarre as the brand to try and convince the consumer that the product comes from Navarre, when in many cases, it does not. See number 2.

• Address of the company

  All the companies included in the Protected Geographical Indication “Espárrago de Navarra” are located in some of the villages of the area included in the Indication, which guarantees its control. However, there are come companies located in the same villages that manufacture and sell products imported from other countries. This fact is indicated in their labels, but in a tiny print. See number 3.
• At the same time, and lastly, the label will include whether the product has been cultivated in Aragon, Navarre, or La Rioja (see number 4); the list of ingredients: asparagus, water, and salt (see number 5); the net amount and the drained weight (see number 6); the number of spears (see number 7); and the best before date (see number 8).

We should also take into account the size and the type of container, as depending on this fact, the price will also vary.

Regarding LENGTH, we can find asparagus:

• Whole

  Their length is higher than 12 cm.

• Short

  Their length is between 7 and 12 cm.

• Tips

  Their length is between 2 and 7 cm.

Regarding calibre or THICKNESS, we can choose from the following type of asparagus:

• Extra thick

  Their diameter is bigger than 19 mm.

• Very thick

  Their diameter is between 14 and 19 mm.

• Thick

  Their diameter is between 11 and 14 mm.

• Medium

  Their diameter is between 9 and 11 mm.

Purchasing guide

When the animal meets all the above criteria, the labels that correspond to each carcass are handed over:

• Lacha suckler breed
  four labels, one for each quarter of the carcass. Red rosette.
• Navarra suckler breed
  four labels, one for each quarter of the carcass. Yellow rosette.
• Ternasco Navarran breed
  one label is placed on the back legs; an identification of the lamb carcass is carried out with a stamp bearing the intitials NA. Blue rosette.