September 8, 2015 by Chris
British Backlash to Halloumi PDO Designation
With Greek and Turkish Cypriots having found common ground in their quest to make halloumi a “protected designation of origin” (“PDO”) under EU law, backlash off the island has only grown.
In early August the EU registered halloumi as a product of Cyprus, and within the month the enforcement actions were underway. According to Daily Sabah:
A Thessaloniki court imposed a fine of 10,000 euros on a Greek firm that was found to be continuing halloumi production after the decision was published in the EU’s official gazette. The court also halted its production for seven months, as well as banned it from producing, distributing, selling, advertising, importing and exporting halloumi.
Having just recently gained a foothold into a booming British halloumi market, British cheesemakers are now fighting back according to the Daily Mail, vowing to challenge the application:
Razan Alsous, founder of halloumi producer Yorkshire Dama Cheese, vowed to contest the application, saying halloumi was a Middle Eastern Bedouin cheese which was made in Iraq, Lebanon and Syria before production spread to Greece, Turkey and Cyprus.