The European Union is trying to tighten restrictions on who can name a product what, and among the categories they’re targeting is cheese.
Don’t be surprised if someday soon you go to the store and in the place of your beloved Gruyere is a basket full of ‘Alpine style cheese’.
The European Union is trying to tighten restrictions on who can name a product what, and among the categories they’re targeting is cheese.
Under their proposed trade agreement, if it goes by a European name, like Parmesan or Brie, the product needs to come from the European country that named it.
If it doesn’t, the non-European maker will simply have to come up with something else to call it.
Not surprisingly, cheese makers in the US are not happy about that.
One Wisconsin dairy farmer said, "People have spent a great deal of money on labeling, building traditions, building a name on a product. And then not being able to use that name would be kind of horrific."
If you’re thinking that’s just too ridiculous to ever happen, think again. It already has.
Costa Rica now abides by the EU’s terms, and prohibits the sale of Provolone and Parmesan made in America.
The US has yet to agree to the EU’s proposed rule.
