EU Parmesan request shunned

Dairy Industries International, June, 2004

The Codex Committee on Milk and Milk Products (CCMMP) has turned down a proposal by the European Union to give Parmesan cheese Geographic Indication (GI) recognition.

GI is the international version of Europe's own Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status, under which several dairy products already fall. The status would reserve the use of the Parmesan name to producers in the Parma region of Italy.

At the meeting, the proposal came up against stiff opposition from countries such as the USA and New Zealand as well as large producers such as Kraft. One of the worries was that if the EU succeeded in its bid, it would set a precedent for other products.

Producers from New Zealand claim that consumers know enough about the cheese to know the...