How did Feta cheese end up causing an international legal battle?

**SPEAKER_1** (0:00)
The best part of Waking Up? A full cup of Folgers Coffee and music on Full Blast.
Shop Folger's K-Cup Pods and more at your nearest retailer. Choice Hotels gets you more of what you value. Here's a little tune to help you remember. Same drive, different day. Don't you wish you were getting away?
Texas, Ohio, Alaska, we're up there too.
How did feta cheese end up causing an international legal battle? Thanks for asking. Feta cheese is undoubtedly a star ingredient when it comes to summer salads. It goes without saying it plays a central role in the Greek salad, but it can also add a savoury taste to other recipes like the watermelon salad, for example. That's one of Kate Middleton's favourites. But this summer, feta isn't only getting attention by featuring in salad recipes. It's also made headlines in European political news due to what was lightheartedly labelled the feta battle between Greece and Denmark. What are the characteristics of feta? It's a brined curd cheese made from sheep's milk, sometimes mixed with goat's milk. It's usually sold packaged in a rectangular shape or cut up into dice for convenient serving. The shape and taste are pretty unique, but feta is far from new. Historical records show that cheese was produced in ancient Greece in the 8th century BC in a similar way to how feta is made these days. It was referenced by Homer in the Odyssey under another name, and according to the Guardian, Aristotle was a big fan. The modern day name feta only became widespread in the 19th century, coming from the Italian word feta with two T's, meaning slice. It's part of Greece's cultural heritage, which explains the recent legal disputes. According to the Association of Greek Dairy Industries, nowadays the country produces 130,000 tons each year, of which 65% is exported. To recognize real feta in a supermarket, you'll need to look at the product label. First of all, it has to be produced in Greece, and using at least 70% sheep milk. Other specific standards apply too, like not going over 56% moisture, and staying within a narrow pH range. So what's the Feta battle all about? Over the course of the 20th century, the popularity of Feta exploded all over the world, in Western Europe in particular. Imitations started springing up everywhere, not always respecting the traditional methods and ingredients used in Greece. Such imitations might be made partly or wholly using cow's milk, for example.
In the 1990s, the EU introduced its protected designation of origin indication to recognize special know-how and ingredients from specific areas. Greece quickly requested one for Feta cheese, a move which faced opposition from countries like Germany, Denmark and France. First time around, it was refused on the basis that Feta was a generic term, but it did eventually become a PDO product in 2002 The latest battle came from the use of the Feta name by Danish manufacturers when exporting their cheese products to non-EU territories. The European Commission had started taking action as far back as 2019, with the support of Greece and Cyprus, and the European Court of Justice reached its ruling on the 14th of July 2022, scolding Denmark and ordering the country to comply with the PDO immediately.
There you have it. Now you know why Feta was in a legal battle. In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions. What would you like to know about? Use the comments section to send us your questions.
Bababam.