Draft:Czech blue poppy

Czech blue poppy is a group of Czech varieties of opium poppy (Papaver somniferum) with a low content of morphinan alkaloids, suitable for food use. As a food, Czech blue poppy is specified by protected geographical indication (PGI) in the Czech Republic.

Guild standard
Blue-seeded and white-seeded poppies are also defined in the Czech Republic by means of a guild standard. This guarantees the origin and variety with the permitted amount of morphine alkaloids on the seed surface. The alkaloid content may not exceed 20 mg/kg (max. morphine, codeine and thebaine). Poppy seeds must not be thermostabilised. Seeds of industrial poppy not intended for food use shall be thermostabilised.

Protected Geographical Indication (PGI)
9 February 2021 the Cesky modry mak (Czech Blue Poppy) was registered as a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) in the Official Journal of the EU. Extract from the eAmbrosia register.

The main purpose is to distinguish between two types of commodities, even if they have the same name. Poppy, which is mainly grown in Western Europe, is a technical poppy. It is specifically used for pharmaceutical purposes and the seed must not be used as food. In contrast, the Czech Blue Poppy, specified by the Czech guild standard, is of a completely different quality. By its very nature, it is a foodstuff that has its place not only in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, but also in Bavaria, Austria, Hungary and other countries linked by their Slavic history. The name 'Cesky modry mak' cannot now be used within the EU unless it actually originates from the Czech Republic.

The PGI logos are available in the languages of the EU Member States. Only 24 PGIs are registered in the Czech Republic.

Varietes
Of the blue-seeded poppy varieties, the following Czech varieties are permitted for cultivation: Orfeus (2009), Orbis (2012), Aplaus (2014), Opex (2015), Onyx (2016), Olaf, Pingu and Sven (2023) and Emanuel (2024). Slovak breeding has produced the varieties Gerlach (1990), Opal (1995), Bergam (1998), Maraton (2000), Malsar, Major (2002), MS Harlekyn (2018). In 2021, the varieties MS Diamant, MS Topas, MS Zafir and Azurit began to be cultivated. In the Czech Republic, the winter blue-seeded poppies of Austrian origin Titan, Oz, formerly also Zeno Plus, are also grown.

Nutritional value of Czech blue poppy
From a nutritional point of view, the seeds of culinary poppy are characterized by an interesting nutrient composition. The most abundant component is fat, which can make up to 47% of poppy seed. The fat contained in poppy has a very favorable fatty acid composition from a nutritional point of view. Saturated fatty acids represent only about 11% of all the fatty acids present and unsaturated fatty acids account for 85%. The most abundant fatty acids in poppyseed oil are linoleic (70-74%) and oleic acid (13-18%). The content of α-linolenic acid is usually around 1%.

Poppy is also a source of vitamins (especially vitamin E) and minerals (mainly calcium, magnesium, zinc and iron). The energy value of poppy seeds is given as 525 kcal, i.e. 2200 kJ.