From Feta to yoghurt- Greece has another battle on its hands when it comes to protecting its popular food products, as many companies from all around the world are now labelling their yoghurt as “Greek” when in fact they are not produced in Greece.
Greece has made it very clear they are not okay with it and the Greek Minister of Agricultural Development and Food Evangelos Apostolou wrote "Greek yoghurt is manufactured in Greece according to the relevant long-standing production methods and does not concern a single type of product,” in a letter he sent to the Commissioner for Health and Food Safety and the EU Agriculture Commissioner.
He also argues that this labelling misrepresentation is not in accordance with a 2011 European Union Food regulation.
Currently, Greek yoghurt is not protected with a designation of origin and certain yoghurt companies worldwide are claiming their yoghurt as “Greek” because they simply strain it to a thick consistency, which is the traditional method used in Greece.
Time will tell whether Greece wins its battle to protect both their most popular dairy items.
