Feta cheese battle reaches court

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4270159.stm

I agree with this as I am sure most people are getting sick of cheap, tacky, water-downed, generic versions of their great foods. It will also boost certain countries economies.

I remember being offered a traditional Irish Stew with Guiness, beef and peas when I went abroad. The worst part was that it was passed off as a traditional Irish recipe!

 

I think it would be better if a product would have to meet certain standards to be called for example feta cheese. That a certain amount of a specific ingredient is present and that the whole thing is made according to set rules. Just plain silly to only be able to make a product in one country. Protecting the product name and its reputation is a whole other thing though.

 

You mean something like the fact that “Champagne” only being made in France, while the rest of the world’s wine makers have to label theirs as “Sparkling Wine”?

Why can't they say "Greek Feta" or "Reims Champagne" if they want to differentiate thier product?

 

Yeah Darkwolf that thing really sucks. For me though Champagne is Champagne and not sparkling wine no matter what the label says. The tradition of labeling champagne as sparkling wine in rest of the world has existed quite long so I see no point in changing it now. The Greek claims should be ignored relabeling the cheese will cost money and I doubt it will help the sale of Greek feta cheeses very much.

 

Champagne isn't allowed to be called Champagne, even if it's from Champagne, just not "that" Champagne.

I'm actually pro such rulings. Simply, because it's annoying to see what is sold as Appenzeller or Raclette in foreign countries. That has something frustrating to it, it has an ill effect on a sound reputation. Further, property should be respected. If your ancestors managed to create something, it's only fair that the descendants reap what they sowed.

On the other hand, other should have the right to produce it, while making very clear on the label, that it is not from the particular country, that the recipe for the product came from. Just to at least stop them from damaging the original brand. If they happen to be better than the originals, they can create their own brand, instead of free-riding on the brand of others.

The WTO agreement on intellectual property rights is one of those I like. As the robbing of intellecutal property in food matters does nothing but destroying the brand.

 

But in this case, did feta cheese really originate in Greece? Do we know it's not Turkish, or Arabic, or just common to the Mediterranean? The Greeks, perhaps even more than the French, have been known to overreach themselves in terms of claiming certain cultural products as "theirs;" witness the Greek lawyers threatening to sue Oliver Stone for suggesting that Alexander (who was Macedonian) was bisexual (supported by a great deal of evidence), as this charge somehow defamed Greece. Do the Greeks own a copyright on Alexander(TM)? Not so long ago, IIRC, some Greek politicians went on a campaign to call "Turkish coffee" "Greek coffee." A little absurd.

In the case of "Champagne" or "Appenzeller" or "Burgundy" etc etc etc, I can see why the natives would be upset, but don't think I can support the idea that the place should have a copyright on their name, especially when their place name has come to be associated with a certain kind of product in general, regardless who produced it. Should McDonalds pay a royalty to Deutchland for each hamburger they sell, and to France (Belgium?) for each fry? If "yogurt" was a Turkish word, should only Turks be allowed to market it? Granted, this can lead to "brand dilution," the production of inferior versions, which leads to a lower public perception of the product. But in most countries, I think labelling laws force companies to disclose the place of origin, and if wine producers from Burgundy want to write "the real stuff: made in Burgundy" on their labels, they should go right ahead. If their product is better, "Burgundy from Burgundy" will do fine.

 

@Bion

According to Wikipedia (if you consider it reliable) Feta comes from ancient Greece. I can, also, confirm that the word feta means slice in modern Greek. Now because for me personally this issue is not important and I don't care if the Danes, the French or everyone else want to call their white cheese feta, I will refer to someother things you mentioned and I consider them far more important even if they are off topic (sorry Cesard).

I agree that these lawyers due to their christian/nationalistic beliefs prefer to hide their heads in the sand and ignore all the historical evidence of Alexander's bisexuality. Although when you imply that ancient Macedonians were not Greeks, you are totally wrong. The spoke the same language, they worshiped the same deities, they participated in the Olympic games. As far as the copyright is concerned, yes we do onw a kind of copyright on Alexander because he is a part of our history, and when we see that our history is twisted (I'm not reffering to Stone's movie) we have the right to protest.

 

I don't think your comparison is accurate. Hamburger and Pizzas are generic designations. That means, they describe a certain way of serving food without anything special about it. Similar to loaf of bread, spaghetti, glass of water, beer. Or products like perfumes or computers, jackets and trousers.

Now, if you take a jacket, it's just a simple jacket for 10 CHF. If you print the name Armani on it, the same jacket is suddenly worth 40 CHF.

And if you take "sparkling wine" it's the same. Sell it as "sparkling wine" and get 10 CHF, sell it as "sparkling wine from Champagne" and get 40 CHF.

In both cases, Armani and Champagne did something to create a label, therefore they deserve to get the profit from it.

On the other hand, no one prevents a producer of "sparkling wine" to frame it's one label and brand it. Like "Californian sprinkle". And in time, the sound of the word "Californian sprinkle" will conjure up pictures, illusions and the scent of luxury in the mind of the consumer like "Champagner" or "Armani" do now.

 

Okay so copyright might be a bit too far but I do think that clear labeling should be enforced and strict standards applied.

As stated my case for Irish stew, the monstrocity I seen was called 'authentic'. That will give Irish cuisine a bad name! We don't go pouring Guniness (which is not even an Irish drink) on everything we eat!

@ BOC - Correct me if I am wrong but the Greeks did not seem too upset at 'Troy' with Brad 'worst Irish accent in history' Pitt, so why get upset with Alexander?

I do agree with you as I hate history and mythology being twisted and commercialised to appease the ignorant masses.

 

As long as the label says where it's made and what ingredients it contains, I don't complain. Last time I had Feta made from cowmilk and made in Denmark, so I shouldn't had been so surprised when I found out that stuff tasted like rubber and pencil erasor.

 

I prefer Turkish feta cheese and have been told that Bulgaria makes the best but I can't get it. I too have run across 'feta' made from cow's milk

Feta Cheese comes from the Mediterranean area and the Greeks may have made it international but I doubt invented it.

 

Really? Every day I learn something new on these boards!