EU Parmesan request shunned

INTERNATIONAL – The Codex Committee on Milk and Milk Products (CCMMP) has turned down a proposal by the European Union to give Parmesan cheese Geographic Indication (GI) recognition.

GI is the international version of Europe’s own Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status, under which several dairy products already fall. The status would reserve the use of the Parmesan name to producers in the Parma region of Italy.

At the meeting, the proposal came up against stiff opposition from countries such as the USA and New Zealand as well as large producers such as Kraft. One of the worries was that if the EU succeeded in its bid, it would set a precedent for other products.

Defending the EU move, Italian producers said that Parmesan is a direct translation of Parmigiano Reggiano. Even for the Parma region, such a rule could cause problems.

What most Parmesan-producing nations have agreed is that Codex should develop an international standard to bring consistency to the composition and labelling of Parmesan.

The issue remains far from dead – the CCMMP will now seek guidance from the Codex Alimentarius Commission at a meeting at the end of this month.