Europe Wants Its Cheese Names Back, & Some Mainers Agree

If negotiators for the European Union have their way, shoppers in the United States may need to familiarize themselves with a host of new names for such common cheeses as feta and Gorgonzola. While large cheese-makers are battling the proposed restriction, many of Maine’s cheese-makers already respect their Old World brethren’s claim and market their cheese with other names.

At issue is whether EU cheese-makers have the right to protect the names of their specialty cheeses from being marketed in the United States as Parmesan, Roquefort, Gorgonzola, Gruyère and other easily recognized names. These are also called “geographical indications,” or GIs.

The labeling issue is being discussed by trade representatives negotiating the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, the next summit of which is planned for May. The U.S. dairy industry is strongly opposing the restriction, but Maine’s artisanal cheese-makers are surprisingly considerate of the Europeans’ position.

To read the rest of the story, please go to: Portland Press Herald