Memes

Europeans definitely try to enforce rules like this worldwide, and AFAIK they're mostly successful, at least in developed nations.

I haven't seen illegitimate Parmagiano Reggiano in the USA. They usually just refer to the US-made version as "parmesan". I also live relatively close to Napa Valley and pretty much nobody here calls wine Champagne unless it's actual Champagne, other than a few companies that still use that loophole I linked to.

You can also make parmigiano reggiano in the US.

I thought parmigiano reggiano was also a protected term/origin in the US. Like Vidalia onions are. Most of the other EU ones aren't though.

That's why "parmesan" is a thing - it's a cheese similar to parmigiano reggiano, but with a shorter minimum aging time, and no requirements on where it's made or what the cows are fed - parmesan can be made with commodity milk anywhere rather than in one part of Italy from a specific breed of cattle fed at least 50% by grass grown in that part of Italy. Other than the aging time the process is similar, which is why the cheese is similar.

This isn’t entirely true, according the article. If a producer in the US was using the name “Champagne” before 2005, they can continue to do so, but producers can’t start using it anymore.

It took two decades of negotiations, but finally, in 2005, the U.S. and the EU reached an agreement. In exchange for easing trade restrictions on wine, the American government agreed that California Champagne, Chablis, Sherry and a half-dozen other ‘semi-generic’ names would no longer appear on domestic wine labels – that is unless a producer was already using one of those names.

Off the top of my head I can name three products unique to my country which we made sure to DOP (Protected Origin Denomination). These are:

Vinho do Porto (Port Wine)

Queijo Serra da Estrela (Serra da Estrela Cheese) This is a cheese made from sheeps milk, that is specially made using a plant extract for curdling and has to be buttery in consistency; if solid, by aging, it needs to be hard as a rock yet brittle when cut

Queijo S. Jorge (Saint Jorge Cheese) this one is essentially our version of parmesan cheese, very hard and salty, aged a minimum of 6 months to years

Every single one of these products is unique, as it has specific production techniques and quality parameters that need to be observed and need to be manufactured in specific regions in order to receive the DOP seal yet we knock off these products ourselves.

There is no need for a specific producer to protect their product with complex and sophisticated techniques like the one in the post because rules are established in seat of law and the seal obtention follows very strict proceedings and regular inspections and quality control.

The knock offs are often manufactured by DOP producers. The end product is similar if not the same as the DOP but fails to observe some minute parameter, like not using a specific milk or variety of grape, with no loss of quality to the end consumer and often at the same price.

Counterfeiting these products is a crime but between the specific and controlled labels, it is just not worth the hassle. And internationally, it is even less worth it. South Africa knocks off Port Wine, produced by descendants of portuguese there; we sat down with their Chamber of Commerce and agreed they could call it Port like or Port style but not Port: they sell theirs, using our tradition and reputation, and cross advertise the original.

Everybody wins.