Italians declare war on New Zealand parmesan

By CATHERINE FIELD

PARIS - Cheesemakers in the north Italian town of Parma have gone to the European Court of Justice to protect the name Parmesan, saying their traditional product is being besmirched by forgeries.

They have named New Zealand as their public enemy number one.

The case was filed by a consortium of cheesemakers, Parmigiano Reggiano, who have been making the hard, dry cheese for centuries with traditional methods. They say their business is affected by cheaper rivals made to less-demanding standards.

Parmigiano Reggiano has been a brandname since 1996, but the name Parmesan itself (Parmigiano in Italian) has no such legal protection, and cheese described as such is sold around the world.

"To sell cheese described as Parmesan which was not made in the Parma area is fraudulent," said Parmigiano Reggiano spokesman Igino Morini.

"These producers are using the word Parmesan to make consumers believe that their product has an origin and characteristics which it hasn't."

The case is a classic one in Europe, where producers of local products such as Bayonne ham, Camembert and Brie cheese, Scotch whisky, champagne, port and sherry fight tooth and nail to protect their name from generic competitors.

"Multinational food groups are using the brand name of Parmesan because Parmigiano Reggiano projects a powerful image," said the president of the cheesemakers' consortium, Andrea Bonati.

Traditional Parmesan comes from a clearly defined region, where the cows' diet is strictly controlled and the product contains no additives, says Parmigiano Reggiano.

But grated cheese described as Parmesan is sold around the world, made from milk from a big-volume dairy producer, packed in plastic bags and emblazoned with an Italian flag to give it a local feel, according to Mr Bonati, who complained of New Zealand specifically.

Wendy Hoare, part-owner of Albany luxury food store Vinotica, said that while many New Zealand cheeses were stocked, the store did not use Kiwi Parmesan.

"My personal opinion is that there is no comparison between the two," she said, "And for that reason it may only be fair that producers toe the line and stop passing it off as the real thing.

"But this argument could go round and round for ever. We make Feta cheese in New Zealand and call it Feta, and you don't hear the Greeks complaining."