HC Deb 06 November 2002 vol 392 c371W
Miss McIntosh

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will press for a review of the Protected Designation of Origin procedure affectingnon-generic products; and if she will make a statement on the recent decision in respect of feta cheese. [77832]

Mr. Morley

The UK has consistently opposed the registration of feta cheese as an EU protected food name on the grounds that we believed that the name "feta" had become a generic product and so not eligible for protection. However, in the absence of a contrary decision by the Council, feta was registered by the Commission as a protected food name on 15 October. While disappointed with this particular outcome, we are satisfied in general with the protected food name scheme and the procedures for registration of products. The scheme was highlighted by the Curry Commission Report on the Future of Farming Food as being a useful opportunity for UK producers to protect the character of their product and secure a premium price for it.

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