“The European Commission proposal to register the denomination ‘Gruyère’ as a protected geographical indicator has been approved” by a committee of EU experts, EU farming commission spokesman Roger Waite said.
The requirement is that French Gruyère cheese must contain holes ‘between the size of a pea and a cherry,’ and the French origin must be visible on packaging, added Waite.
To-date, only Swiss Gruyère benefited from this degree of protection under a bilateral accord between the EU and non-member Switzerland.
Australian and New Zealand producers, as well as the American milk industry, had lodged objections to the recognition of French Gruyere as a distinct product.
Source: EU Business
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