Don't use the "F…"-word
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- 1 min
- Published:
- 12 October 2007
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On Monday, Arla Foods will no longer be able to use the name "feta".
With effect from October 15, the European Court of Justice has ruled that "feta" is a protected designation of origin reserved for Greek products - in the same way as Danablue is in Denmark. Only cheese produced from sheep and goats in feta cheese's country of origin, Greece, can now be called feta cheese.
18 year battle
Arla Foods' staff will have to get used to using the product name "white cheese" when referring to feta-related products like Apetina.
Discussions concerning the rights to the "feta" name had been ongoing between Greece and the other EU countries for 18 years before the final regulation from the European Count found in Greece's favour in October 2005.
Following the decision, feta producers in the other EU countries were granted an interim arrangement whereby they could continue to use the name "feta". However, this arrangement expires on October 15.
No Greek tragedy
"We have long been aware of this. But we've put the time to good use, and have used the opportunity to strengthen our white cheese brand. Apetina is now strongly rooted in the minds of most European consumers," says Kim Christensen, who is responsible for Arla Foods' international cheese sales. Apetina is one of Arla Foods most global brands and is sold in around 35 countries.
"This is in no way a Greek tragedy. On the contrary, this means that we'll have a wider approach into the category and can focus on other types of white cheese than just feta. And that's only to our advantage."
Arla Foods is an international dairy company owned by more than 8,400 farmers from Denmark, Sweden, the UK, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Arla Foods is one of the leading players in the international dairy arena with well-known brands like Arla®, Lurpak®, Puck® and Castello®. Arla Foods is focused on providing good dairy nourishment from sustainable farming and operations and is also the world's largest manufacturer of organic dairy products.
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