TOKYO — Champagne, Melton Mowbray pork pies and Gorgonzola cheese are to be joined by Kobe beef and eye-wateringly expensive Yubari melons as protected products after Japan Tuesday granted them a special status.
A total of seven products including Kobe beef and the melons from the northern of island of Hokkaido were added to a list of Japanese geographical indications, the farm ministry said.
With the designation, anyone who uses the registered brands without permission could face penalties.
"We'll promote the registration of geographic indications and increase demand (for premium farm products) inside and outside Japan," Hiroshi Moriyama, agriculture minister, told a press conference.
To read the rest of the story, please go to: Agence France Presse
