Greece claims that as a nation it has been making Feta since ancient times, while in 2002 was awarded protected status. This type of cheese is part of Greek origin protection mechanisms, so only cheese made in Greece can be sold as such. According to Homer’s epic poems Cyclops Polyphemus, son of the god of sea Poseidon, was the first cheese, and in particular feta, maker in the world 3,000 years ago.
Feta is a type of cheese, traditionally produced from sheep’s (or sheep’s and goat’s) milk in parts of Greece. Feta PDO is produced in the geographical area of mainland Greece (Macedonia, Thrace, Epirus, Thessaly, Mainland Greece, Peloponnesus) and the department of Lesvos (Lesvos, Limnos, Agios Efstratios). The milk comes from sheep and goat breeds that graze freely in these areas in Greece, which stand out for their high biodiversity and special soil and weather conditions.
The milk, as well as the production and maturation process that must last for at least two months, give Feta PDO a unique authentic taste profile. The name Feta was registered as a protected designation of origin in 2002. Since then, that name may be used only for cheese that originates in the defined geographical area in Greece and conforms to the applicable product specification.
Interestingly though, according to case information the production and export of cheese under the name Feta existed in Denmark since the 1960s. Unlike the original Greek Feta that is protected today as a PDO, Danish Feta is produced from cow’s milk by use of different production methods.
Denmark argued that the Feta issue only applied to products sold in the European Union, not third countries. However, the Commission considers that by failing to prevent or stop the infringement of the rights in the registered PDO Feta, Denmark is undermining the Union’s position in international negotiations intended to ensure the protection of the EU’s quality schemes and is in breach of the principle of cooperation in good faith.
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