ORIGIN AND REGISTRATION

Geographic Indication and Agrocert in Mastic Gum

Mastic gum is a registered product that can only be made on Chios. This page explains the two documents you will meet in the supply chain: the European Union geographic indication (PDO) and the Agrocert certificate.

Source: Damsak Gıda archive

01Where the product comes from

Mastic gum is a natural resin drawn from the Chios variety of Pistacia lentiscus. It forms on the trunk of its own accord, hardens in the island air and is gathered by hand.

The aroma comes not from the species but from the island: its climate, its soil, its microclimate. The same tree grown elsewhere does not yield the same resin. That is why the product is rare and why it is registered.

02Geographic indication (PDO)

A geographic indication registers that a product is made in a defined region and is unique because of that region’s natural conditions. Mastic gum carries the European Union’s PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) mark under this system.

Production area: The registration limits production to the Mastichochoria villages in the south of the island.
Name protection: Resin produced outside Chios may not be sold as “mastic gum”.
Method protection: The registration covers not only the geography but the traditional gathering and sorting process.

03Agrocert certification

Agrocert is a Greek certification body. The PDO registration defines what the product must be; Agrocert inspects whether production in the field meets that definition.

Production audit: Confirms the resin was gathered inside the registered area and by traditional method.
Quality control: Verifies by analysis that the product is natural and free of additives.
Traceability: The Agrocert mark on the pack shows the lot passed inspection.

04The difference between the two

The two are often confused: one is a registration, the other an inspection. A product falling under PDO does not mean that particular lot was audited; look for both.

	Geographic indication (PDO)	Agrocert
What it does	Registers that the product belongs to its region.	Inspects and certifies that production meets the registration.
Scope	A legal system recognised by the European Union.	A certification body based in Greece.
Focus	Geographic and cultural origin.	Quality, purity and production process.

05What to check on the pack

Two marks are looked for when a sample or a lot is accepted. If both are not present, the origin of the product is undocumented.

Agrocert mark: Shows the lot passed Agrocert inspection and was produced to PDO conditions.
PDO mark: States that the product originates on Chios and is registered with the European Union.

06Why it matters in the supply chain

Mastic gum can be confused with resins that look similar but whose origin is undocumented. Certification is the only objective way to tell them apart.

Protects the buyer: Separates genuine mastic from imitation and low-grade resin.
Protects the producer: Sustains the work of growers on the island and the regional economy behind it.
Useful in export: PDO and Agrocert make the product recognisable abroad and defensible at customs.

The mastic products Damsak Gıda supplies originate on Chios. Documentation can be requested per lot.

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Email: damsak@damsak.com.tr
Phone: +90 530 664 45 58
Office hours: Monday–Friday · 09:00–18:00

01Where the product comes from

Mastic gum is a natural resin drawn from the Chios variety of Pistacia lentiscus. It forms on the trunk of its own accord, hardens in the island air and is gathered by hand.

02Geographic indication (PDO)

Production area

The registration limits production to the Mastichochoria villages in the south of the island.

Name protection

Resin produced outside Chios may not be sold as “mastic gum”.

Method protection

The registration covers not only the geography but the traditional gathering and sorting process.

03Agrocert certification

Agrocert is a Greek certification body. The PDO registration defines what the product must be; Agrocert inspects whether production in the field meets that definition.

Production audit

Confirms the resin was gathered inside the registered area and by traditional method.

Quality control

Verifies by analysis that the product is natural and free of additives.

Traceability

The Agrocert mark on the pack shows the lot passed inspection.

04The difference between the two

The two are often confused: one is a registration, the other an inspection. A product falling under PDO does not mean that particular lot was audited; look for both.

	Geographic indication (PDO)	Agrocert
What it does	Registers that the product belongs to its region.	Inspects and certifies that production meets the registration.
Scope	A legal system recognised by the European Union.	A certification body based in Greece.
Focus	Geographic and cultural origin.	Quality, purity and production process.

05What to check on the pack

Two marks are looked for when a sample or a lot is accepted. If both are not present, the origin of the product is undocumented.

Agrocert mark

Shows the lot passed Agrocert inspection and was produced to PDO conditions.

PDO mark

States that the product originates on Chios and is registered with the European Union.

06Why it matters in the supply chain

Mastic gum can be confused with resins that look similar but whose origin is undocumented. Certification is the only objective way to tell them apart.

Protects the buyer

Separates genuine mastic from imitation and low-grade resin.

Protects the producer

Sustains the work of growers on the island and the regional economy behind it.

Useful in export

PDO and Agrocert make the product recognisable abroad and defensible at customs.