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

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

#261

Post by fennecfoxen » Wed, Jun 30, 2021, 2:16 PM UTC

Zababa wrote: post #151

fennecfoxen wrote: post #130

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The PDO approach impairs competition by making it impossible to legally refer to food with a name that people understand. In the US we see similar complaints arise from time to time when various agencies declare that you may not name your product "oat milk" because milk is defined as cow milk that is fortified with vitamins A and D (skim milk that is not fortified, for instance, gets to be named "imitation skim milk"…

> The PDO approach impairs competition by making it impossible to legally refer to food with a name that people understand. No, because the name of the food implies a tradition and a terroir, which copies wouldn't have. If you say you're selling "parmesan" while actually doing some chemical thing that tastes like it and has the same texture, people will imagine wheel of cheese, Italia, which in that case will be wron…

Burn tradition :)

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

#262

Post by denton-scratch » Wed, Jun 30, 2021, 2:29 PM UTC

pyuser583 wrote: post #251

denton-scratch wrote: post #224

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's misleading to the people that are aware. The law in this country is that you can't call it champagne if it's not from champagne. Anyone that drinks champagne knows this. Same for Melton Mowbray Pork Pies; if they're not from that region, or not made in the right way, you're breaking the law if you call them Melton Mowbray. I really can't see why it isn't bad and misleading, to use a designation of origin on a la…

Ok great there’s an easy way to solve this issue: consumer research. If consumer research shows that most consumers are aware Champagne always comes from Champagne, and they consider sparkling white wine from Portugal to be “not Champagne” - then keep the restrictions. In the other hand if most consumers aren’t aware of the distinction, or don’t care, then it’s simply protectionism. This could create different rules…

"Acme Fine China, made in the USA”

My parents used to have a blanket on their bed, with the following label:

"Genuine Witney Blanket. Made in Manchester."

England may be a small place, but Witney is very far from Manchester, in terms of English geography. Witney used to be the centre of English blanket-weaving; there were at least two of the biggest English blanket-weaving companies in Witney. (Witney is a small town near Oxford)

Manchester was the centre of the English cotton-weaving industry since the 18th century. It's not hard to understand why the blanket-weavers might move to Manchester. But "Genuine Witney"? Yeah, the blanket was made by EarlyWarm, a Witney firm; but trading on a place-name when you don't employ anyone from that place or contribute to the economy of that place, is just wrong.

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

#263

Post by dariosalvi78 » Wed, Jun 30, 2021, 8:10 PM UTC

quesera wrote: post #210

dariosalvi78 wrote: post #154

Earlier quoted context omitted.

then try the real buffalo mozzarella and any other copy you find elsewhere. I am from Naples and I have lived about half of my life in other countries, and in each country I have tried to find a decent local substitute of mozzarella: I couldn't. Maybe it's a secret technique, maybe it's the air, who knows, but the fact remains that the only real mozzarella comes from there.

I agree and I sympathize, but ... Your preferences and your conditioning bias you to believe that there is only one correct interpretation. It is your favorite, and you can justify that by believing that it is the original and the only proper version. You miss that product when you are away from home. I feel the same way about some local foods that I grew up with, but I don't support Global Trade Law that would preve…

My comment was related to the fact that there actually is "something", call it terroir, call it local knowledge or whatever that makes those products different, no matter how hard you try to reproduce them outside (and no, it's not nostalgia, people I know who are not even Italian have the same opinion).

For what regards the rule, the main reason it exists is to protect local businesses I think. Many of these productions are local and small. If someone big from US or China comes with a product of the same name the industry where the product was created is lost forever.

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

#264

Post by pyuser583 » Thu, Jul 01, 2021, 5:38 AM UTC

denton-scratch wrote: post #262

pyuser583 wrote: post #251

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ok great there’s an easy way to solve this issue: consumer research. If consumer research shows that most consumers are aware Champagne always comes from Champagne, and they consider sparkling white wine from Portugal to be “not Champagne” - then keep the restrictions. In the other hand if most consumers aren’t aware of the distinction, or don’t care, then it’s simply protectionism. This could create different rules…

"Acme Fine China, made in the USA” My parents used to have a blanket on their bed, with the following label: "Genuine Witney Blanket. Made in Manchester." England may be a small place, but Witney is very far from Manchester, in terms of English geography. Witney used to be the centre of English blanket-weaving; there were at least two of the biggest English blanket-weaving companies in Witney. (Witney is a small town…

I think that falls into the category of “jumping through hoops to deliberately confuse consumers.”

If you call something “Acme Italian Marble, Mined in Spain” You’re just blatantly contradicting the “made in statement.”

That’s straight out consumer deception.

“Real authentic oak furniture. Made from polycarbonate.”

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

#265

Post by mantas » Wed, Jul 07, 2021, 4:44 AM UTC

denton-scratch wrote: post #227

mantas wrote: post #28

Personally I just stopped buying "true" Parmesan. Local hard cheese is good enough if not better. After few tries it's easy to figure out what to use if recipe asks for Parmesan(tm).

Parmesan from Parma is a particular food. If you're OK with pecorino, that's a different taste, but it's a decent substitute in many recipes, and pecorino is preferable for some recipes. No doubt there are very nice hard cheeses made in places that are not famous for cheese; that's cool too. BBut let's not mush all hard cheeses together under the name of the most-famous hard cheese. It's famous for a reason.

Yes. Different local hard cheeses work as replacement for different famous trademarked hard cheeses.

Sidenote: Pecorino Romano is one of the cheeses that I can't find a local replacement for :(