Haloumi cheese could soon become very difficult to find on Australian supermarket shelves after a shocking decision by the regulator.
The European Union has said the cheese is a traditional product from Cyprus, preventing foreign manufacturers from using the name.
The ban is made on the same basis as Champagne wine which can only be made in the Champagne region of France – the rest is called “sparkling” wine.
Australia’s agenda industry is gearing up to fight the ban, complaining that local producers will suffer losses of tens of millions of dollars.
Under a new deal with the European Union, Australian dairy farmers would be banned from using the name haloumi cheese (stock image)
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Australian Dairy Council chairman Terry Richardson said the EU has already raised issues over various cheese names with Australian farmers.
“Now they’ve opened up the option to add to that list once the deal is finalized and that just goes too far,” he told 7 News.
Australia is currently negotiating a free trade agreement with the European Union that would establish rules to streamline trade between regions.
The EU, with its combined GDP of over $ 14 trillion, is Australia’s fourth largest trading partner.
“We must prevent this FTA from allowing the EU to take over the names of our cheeses,” said Richardson.
The EU’s GI system legally requires certain product names to be made in a specific place or method.
Some wines, olive oils, beers, cheeses and sausages are examples of the types of products included in the system.
Roquefort cheese, for example, must be made with a certain breed of sheep’s milk and matured in cellars near Roquefort-sur-Soulzon in France under a protected designation of origin.
An employee prepares haloumi cheese for packaging during the production process at the GI Keses Ltd. factory. in Cyprus (photo)
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Mr. Richardson argues that haloumi refers to a type of cheese and not to a type unique to a region.
“The origin of the cheese is irrelevant as the name is generic and associated not with the region of Cyprus, but with a certain taste, texture and functionality,” he said.
The leading dairy industry body estimates that the impact on local producers of the name ban could be between $ 70 million and $ 90 million per year.
The EU calls on Australia to adopt the geographical indications system as part of the free trade agreement.
Haloumi is not currently listed, but Tuesday’s decision could set a precedent that more products could be added after the deal goes into effect.
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