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The EU’s disputed system of geographical indications is taking over the planet (2017)

politico.eu

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Re: The EU’s disputed system of geographical indications is taking over the planet (2017)

#21

Post by skywal_l »

roelschroeven wrote: post #20
greatgib wrote: post #9

> The wording is strange, it looks like they say that it is wrong to say that it is inauthentic. But, there is no doubt, if you buy Greek feta that is manufactured in Australia in addition with different recipes and ingredients origins, it is clearly inauthentic and deceptive.

But the thing is, what if you produce feta with the exact same ingredients and recipe in Australia? The customer gets the exact same thing, only made somewhere else. I'm all for quality standards, so that customers can now exactly what they get. But be able to use a name based on the location where something is produced, that doesn't protect the customer at all. It only protects a selected set of producers.

What if you produce exactly the same sneakers than Nike? That does not protect the customer and protects the producers too. But somehow, nobody compains about that.

I don't see why brands should be more protected that countries or regions name.

Re: The EU’s disputed system of geographical indications is taking over the planet (2017)

#22

Post by anoncake »

skywal_l wrote: post #21
roelschroeven wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But the thing is, what if you produce feta with the exact same ingredients and recipe in Australia? The customer gets the exact same thing, only made somewhere else. I'm all for quality standards, so that customers can now exactly what they get. But be able to use a name based on the location where something is produced, that doesn't protect the customer at all. It only protects a selected set of producers.

What if you produce exactly the same sneakers than Nike? That does not protect the customer and protects the producers too. But somehow, nobody compains about that. I don't see why brands should be more protected that countries or regions name.

Then you should be allowed to apply the Nike brand to them. Producers' interests don't matter. They only exist to serve the customer.

Re: The EU’s disputed system of geographical indications is taking over the planet (2017)

#23

Post by pimterry »

edejong wrote: post #11

The result of these policies is that hard cheeses are produced in low-income countries, shipped over long distances and then relabeled “Parmasan” in the Parma region, to be shipped long distance again to its end destination.

If this happens, it's not within the rules, that's straight up fraud.

PDOs like Parmesan require all production and processing to happen within the registered area, and usually following some quite strict rules, depending on the name in question.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protected_designation_of_ori... has some interesting details.

Re: The EU’s disputed system of geographical indications is taking over the planet (2017)

#24

Post by tchalla »

The US has 681 Geographical Indications which are registered and/or protected under agreement [0]. 679 of them are for wine products, 2 for spirits (Bourbon/Tennesee Whisky).

The US has applied for 1 food product GI - Alaska Pollock Fish in 2021 [1].

[0] https://www.tmdn.org/giview/gi/search

[1] https://www.tmdn.org/giview/gi/EUGI00000018025

Re: The EU’s disputed system of geographical indications is taking over the planet (2017)

#25

Post by jkldotio »

greatgib wrote: post #9

> The wording is strange, it looks like they say that it is wrong to say that it is inauthentic. But, there is no doubt, if you buy Greek feta that is manufactured in Australia in addition with different recipes and ingredients origins, it is clearly inauthentic and deceptive.

Feta comes from φέτα/~"slice", so it's not named after a region. Melbourne has one of the largest Greek populations in the world. Why don't these Greek people have right to their heritage? If the British were to start trying to say that "sandwich" was protected and American sandwiches were "inauthentic and deceptive" would you take such a claim seriously?

Re: The EU’s disputed system of geographical indications is taking over the planet (2017)

#26

Post by mantas »

anoncake wrote: post #22
skywal_l wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What if you produce exactly the same sneakers than Nike? That does not protect the customer and protects the producers too. But somehow, nobody compains about that. I don't see why brands should be more protected that countries or regions name.

Then you should be allowed to apply the Nike brand to them. Producers' interests don't matter. They only exist to serve the customer.

So we'd end up with Nike made by Nike and Nike made by someone else? Then, in general public eyes, Nike-made-by-Nike would become true Nike.

Re: The EU’s disputed system of geographical indications is taking over the planet (2017)

#27

Post by tchalla »

dmitriid wrote: post #15

I'm from Moldova, and Moldovan alcohol producers were hit by this. Since the Soviet times lots of things like cognac, champagne, cahors, port wine and so on were produced in Moldova often using traditional recipes. And then association with EU happened. Ooops, can't use those names anymore, you must devise new names for what is essentially the same exact product.

Moldova has 5 wines and 1 spirit protected under the GI status.

https://www.tmdn.org/giview/gi/EUGI00209900380

https://www.tmdn.org/giview/gi/EUGI00209900381

https://www.tmdn.org/giview/gi/EUGI00209900382

https://www.tmdn.org/giview/gi/EUGI00209900383

https://www.tmdn.org/giview/gi/EUGI00209900383

https://www.tmdn.org/giview/gi/EUGI00209900385

Re: The EU’s disputed system of geographical indications is taking over the planet (2017)

#29

Post by Telemakhos »

zeristor wrote: post #2

Surely the USA can develop its own authentic regional foods?

There are regional US foods. There are, for example, many regional kinds of barbecue, including two varieties of pulled pork in North Carolina (eastern Carolina barbecue with a vinegar-pepper sauce, and western or Lexington barbecue that adds tomato and sometimes sugar), Texas brisket, and many others. Likewise there are Surrey hams (nothing like so-called "Virginia" ham despite representing colonial-era Virginian ham smoking and curing recipes), red-eye country hams, city hams (the so-called "Virginia" ham), spam, etc. There are Virginia peanuts that are larger and crispier than any others you'll find, but in Louisiana you'll find boiled peanuts instead. Kentucky has its juleps and Derby (or "May Day") pies as well as hot-browns. Florida serves key lime pie, mojitos, Cuban sandwiches (really invented in Tampa and blending Cuban and Italian deli traditions) and Cuban coffee. Hawaii has poké, which is now spreading everywhere. There are authentic regional foods in the United States, some with roots going back to the colonial era, some more modern. It would be politically incorrect to protect those with a European-style system of regional designations, however. On the right, regulations, especially those creating the potential (or certainty of) cartel pricing, are unwelcome. On the center and moderate left, there is little desire to promote regionalism over a national picture that emphasizes a common "America" that all citizens share. On the far left, you find the absolute denial that America (or more specifically white America) has any sort of culture of its own. The federal United States is not quite set up for regional distinctions the same way that the EU, as a much looser set of sovereign nations, is.

Re: The EU’s disputed system of geographical indications is taking over the planet (2017)

#30

Post by dopidopHN »

anoncake wrote: post #17
greatgib wrote: post #9

> The wording is strange, it looks like they say that it is wrong to say that it is inauthentic. But, there is no doubt, if you buy Greek feta that is manufactured in Australia in addition with different recipes and ingredients origins, it is clearly inauthentic and deceptive.

You can use the same recipes in Australia as in Greece. Ingredients could be tricky, but let's assume that you can make sheep milk in Australia that has the same properties as Greek sheep milk. Then why should it matter where the feta has been manufactured?

Cybernetic again, cheese is more than the sum of its part.

I’m only half joking. Plus, for some recipe the food that the cow ate and the altitude do make a difference in the output.

I’m all for other places making cheese and whatnot.

But when you buy the said cheese to find the exact taste you know since childhood, and that you miss in the exotic land you are living as a adult…

You can be picky on the product. I want the Madeleine de Proust. Not a taste-a-like.

Those labels help me do that. If I want the real deal I will buy it and the label will help me archive that goal. ( not always, see below )

If I feel adventurous, I have nothing against trying other cheeses. Some are good, some might event be identical to the label-cheese. I’m open to that.

Furthermore, and tangentially related … folk should be open to the idea that some produce don’t travel well. They just don’t.

My favorite cheese is embarrassingly bad when I found the official label in the US. The taste is more sauer and the consistency different. It’s just sad.( to eat )

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