Posted on 03/25/2002 7:42:03 AM PST by socal_parrot
NICOSIA (Reuters) - Cyprus won a major coup in a 10-year cheese war on Friday, securing the island the exclusive right to use the name halloumi when the famous cheese is sold in Britain.
Cyprus has raced to get the rubbery white cheese registered as its own in a number of countries to prevent foreign producers from stealing the name.
About 10 years ago, the Danish board of dairy products lodged an objection to Cyprus registering the name in Britain, but later withdrew it, said government attorney Stella Ioannides. The Danish decision cleared the way for Cyprus to secure the registration.
``It is a major success. We proved that halloumi is a traditional cheese produced only in Cyprus,'' she said.
Now foreign suppliers of halloumi exporting to Britain will have to call it something else or have it produced for them in Cyprus.
Virtually a national symbol, the salty cheese is produced with either sheep or goat's milk and fries or grills without melting.
The export business is worth between 13 and 13.5 million euros a year. About a quarter of exports are channeled to Britain, home to a large Cypriot community.
A victory for cheese purists!!
a. cricket
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