The Danes and Germans argue that 'feta' is a generic term for a whole class of cheeses produced also outside Greece. Nevertheless, in 2002 the European Commission granted feta the status of an original product, equivalent to the status of Parma ham and French champagne.
This means that by 2007, feta producers outside Greece will have to find another name for their products, which will bring them huge losses. In addition to Germany and Denmark, the British company Shepherds Purse Cheeses, which produces 'Yorkshire feta', will also have to rename its product.
Denmark, for example, ranks second in the world in feta production volumes (about 30 thousand tons per year) and exports it even to Greece itself. Moreover, Danish cheese makers now fear that they could also lose the rights to the name 'brie'.
According to tradition, feta, a cheese made from goat's or sheep's milk, an essential ingredient in many Greek dishes, has been made in Greece for six thousand years. Here, 115 thousand tons of feta are produced per year, mainly for domestic sale.
_