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Europe Tells U.S. To Lay Off Brie And Get Its Own Cheese Names
NPR ^ | 04 Mar 2014 | Latoya Dennis

Posted on 03/04/2014 3:03:59 PM PST by Theoria

What's in a name? It's an age-old question Juliet once asked Romeo in Shakespeare's famed play.

Today, it's a serious question between the U.S. and the European Union, which has said it wants U.S. food makers to stop using European names.

But depending on what food you're talking about, a name could be a lot, says Kyle Cherek, the producer and host of a TV show called Wisconsin Foodie.

Cherek argues that certain products are so unique that only one country or region should be allowed to lay claim. So, for example, he says only onions from Vidalia, Ga., should be called American Vidalia, and Lambic beer absolutely has to come from a specific valley in Belgium.

"Roquefort, of course, has to come from that region" of France, he adds, because there's a distinctive fungus that gives the cheese its flavor.

But not everything fits into that category. Take, for instance, cheddar cheese — which is big business in Wisconsin.

"They simply can't legislate that into a region," Cherek says. "Cheddar is made in Australia, in the U.S., in Canada. It's made in probably seven or eight countries."

And therein lies the problem.

As part of negotiations over the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, the European Union wants the U.S. to prohibit food makers here from using names with historical ties to Europe.

That means popular cheeses like Gruyere, Brie and Parmesan could all be in line for a name change, thanks to the EU's proposed restrictions. The problem, says Steve Stettler, who owns Decatur Dairy in Brodhead, Wis., is that U.S. food makers have spent a lot of money building their brands.

"How do we educate our consumers? People have spent a great deal of money on labeling, building traditions, building a name on a product," Stettler says.

(Excerpt) Read more at npr.org ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Foreign Affairs; Government
KEYWORDS: cheese; europe; europeanunion; food; label; trade
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'As part of negotiations over the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, the European Union wants the U.S. to prohibit food makers here from using names with historical ties to Europe.'
1 posted on 03/04/2014 3:03:59 PM PST by Theoria
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To: Theoria

Ok, sure. So those dubya dubya one and dubya dubya two checks are in the mail, right?


2 posted on 03/04/2014 3:05:51 PM PST by goodwithagun (My gun has killed fewer people than Ted Kennedy's car.)
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To: Theoria

We should really call “French Fries” “Weasel Sticks”....


3 posted on 03/04/2014 3:06:35 PM PST by GraceG
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To: Theoria

I like cheese.

But I don’t like cheese eating surrender monkeys telling me what I can and cannot call my cheese.


4 posted on 03/04/2014 3:07:41 PM PST by Responsibility2nd (NO LIBS. This Means Liberals and (L)libertarians! Same Thing. NO LIBS!!)
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To: Theoria

So what about “Frog”?


5 posted on 03/04/2014 3:09:12 PM PST by Huskrrrr
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To: Theoria

Arguing over food names while Obama bankrupts America, North Korea and Iran stockpile nukes, and Russia invades Ukraine and seizes Crimea.....

What’s wrong with this picture?


6 posted on 03/04/2014 3:10:26 PM PST by Jack Hammer
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To: Huskrrrr
‘Frog’ is a European export, notably from a certain region. As well as Vichy.
7 posted on 03/04/2014 3:11:10 PM PST by Theoria (End Socialism : No more GOP and Dem candidates)
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To: Theoria

These people are so ridiculous. Maybe we should just stop buying it, too.


8 posted on 03/04/2014 3:11:19 PM PST by livius
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To: Jack Hammer

No cheese.


9 posted on 03/04/2014 3:11:52 PM PST by Theoria (End Socialism : No more GOP and Dem candidates)
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To: Responsibility2nd
But I don’t like cheese eating surrender monkeys telling me what I can and cannot call my cheese.

These treaties all have bilateral benefits. We don't want Greece to sell wines labelled "Napa" or onions labelled "Vidalia," especially if they're shipping them to Latin America.

10 posted on 03/04/2014 3:12:10 PM PST by Lurking Libertarian (Non sub homine, sed sub Deo et lege)
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To: Theoria

Freedom Fries it is, then....meanwhile King Vlad of greater Russia is eating caviar while reading those EU inspired Obama red line memos and LOLing. It’s good to be the King.


11 posted on 03/04/2014 3:12:12 PM PST by TADSLOS (The Event Horizon has come and gone. Buckle up and hang on.)
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To: Theoria

Ok Euroweenies then stop using...MCDonald’s, Twitter, Microsoft Office, Google, Apple, Iphone, wifi, Instagram etc etc. Those are American products so come up with your own sissy alternate names..


12 posted on 03/04/2014 3:17:21 PM PST by max americana (fired liberals in our company last election, and I laughed while they cried (true story))
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To: GraceG

“We should really call “French Fries” “Weasel Sticks”....”

Oh no! However shall we order our french toast, english muffins, or spanish rice?


13 posted on 03/04/2014 3:22:18 PM PST by Owl558 (Those who remember George Santayana are doomed to repeat him)
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To: Theoria

Don’t they also have the name “champagne” locked up. If it is labeled champagne it has to come from the champagne region of France. Otherwise, it is sparkling wine.


14 posted on 03/04/2014 3:26:00 PM PST by dhs12345
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To: Theoria

What do you expect? These are people that have laws about how bent a banana can be.


15 posted on 03/04/2014 3:28:43 PM PST by Paine in the Neck (Socialism consumes EVERYTHING)
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To: Theoria

Now Chef Boy-Ar-Dee with improved Parr-auh-zan.


16 posted on 03/04/2014 3:31:28 PM PST by Dr. Sivana ("I'm a Contra" -- President Ronald Reagan)
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To: Paine in the Neck

Look Mooch! An illegal banana!

17 posted on 03/04/2014 3:33:21 PM PST by RightGeek (FUBO and the donkey you rode in on)
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To: AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Berosus; bigheadfred; Bockscar; cardinal4; ColdOne; ...
...the European Union wants the U.S. to prohibit food makers here from using names with historical ties to Europe.
As the old saying go, and people in Hell want ice water. Thanks Theoria. From the FRchives:
18 posted on 03/04/2014 3:44:30 PM PST by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: Theoria
there's a distinctive fungus that gives the cheese its flavor.

Maybe I can patent my toes.

19 posted on 03/04/2014 3:47:27 PM PST by Tijeras_Slim
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To: Paine in the Neck
What do you expect? These are people that have laws about how bent a banana can be.

What is the unit of curvature? The "Clinton"?

20 posted on 03/04/2014 3:48:21 PM PST by Tijeras_Slim
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