Democracy, the Olympic Games, and thick and creamy yogurt are among Greece’s greatest contributions to humanity. And when it comes to the latter, the Greek Ministry of Agriculture is sick of impostors. The country wants people to know that true Greek yogurt is made in Greece and prevent anyone making it elsewhere — in Europe, at least — from calling it Greek.
The Ministry of Agriculture has assembled a group that plans to apply to register “Greek yogurt” in the European Union Register as a term with a protected geographical indication (PGI) or protected designation of origin (PDO), according to DairyReporter.com. If accepted, it would prohibit companies in other countries from calling their yogurts Greek. The initial process for making Greek yogurt and regular yogurt is the same, but the difference lies in the texture: Greek yogurt is strained to remove liquid, making it thicker and creamier, and giving it more protein and fewer carbohydrates per serving. But some brands don’t follow this technique, and take shortcuts by adding thickeners and protein. Last year, a dispute between Greece and the Czech Republic over the latter’s “Greek-style yogurt” resulted in a scolding from the European Commission. “Using the term ‘Greek yoghurt’ for products produced outside Greece would deceive consumers and would create unfair competition in the E.U. market,” one E.U. official noted to Euractiv.
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