INTERNATIONAL – The Parmesan name cannot be used as a term for generic hard cheeses for at least two years.

The news came at the fifth Codex Alimentarius Committee on milk and milk products last week, held in Wellington, New Zealand. The Committee decided to delay its decision on the use of the Parmesan name for two years.

The decision effectively means that Parmesan, widely used as an ingredient in Italian-style products, can only be produced by members of the Parmigiano Reggiano consortium. Members of the group produce premium quality cheese near Parma in Italy.

Parmesan is the English word for the Italian Parmigiano cheese. The name is widely been used as a generic name for hard cheeses.

Italian farming minister Giovanni Alemanno said in a statement: “The Parmesan trademark is safe. After three days of meetings, Italy’s delegation managed to safeguard the Italian Parmesan trademark.”

Codex Alimentarius is a joint venture between the Food and Agriculture Organisation and the World Health Organisation. It aims to provide guidance on food safety.