Australian dairy warns of European trade rules on cheese names

An Aussie dairy leader says while the Kiwis may have given into the Eurocrats on cheese names, a similar deal won’t happen here.

A European Union push for Australia to slap generic names on cheese needs to be resisted, a top dairy leader says.

New Zealand agreed to junk the use of household cheese names such as feta and parmesan in a recently signed trade deal with the eurozone.

The Australian Dairy Industry Council estimated moves to follow the geographic indicator regulations would put at risk local products with an aggregate sales value of more than $650 million.

ADIC president Rick Gladigau said common cheese names could disappear from dairy products in Australia if the Kiwi example was followed.

He said the NZ-EU deal should not set a precedent for trade negotiations between Brussels and Canberra in coming months.

“The outcome that New Zealand has given up to the EU on geographic indicators will not be accepted by the Australian dairy industry,” Mr Gladigau said.

“We will continue to defend the right to call dairy products by their common food names.”

The Australian Dairy Products Federation backed the ADIC’s call.

“It’s imperative that we safeguard the value of our industry by ensuring that we can continue to put Australia’s favourite dairy products on shelves and labelled as they always have been,” ADPF executive director Janine Waller said.

“As an industry we are unified on this sensitive matter and will continue to work collaboratively with government to achieve the best outcome for Australian dairy.”

Australian producers of Feta, Gruyere and dozens of other products face being barred from using the names of their products under a list of demands made by the European Union as part of a $100 billion trade deal. Picture: AAP Image/David Mariuz

Former trade minister Simon Birmingham released a list of cheese names at risk if EU geographic indicators were followed to the letter.

Names on the list include queso manchego, Beaufort, Comté, Roquefort, Asiago, Parmigiano Reggiano as well as the better-known feta, pecorino and gouda.

“Australia doesn’t like the idea of geographical indications but this is a not-negotiable element from the European Union,” Senator Birmingham told the ABC.

New Australian trade minister Don Farrell is yet to comment on geographic indicators and the potential impact on a Canberra-Brussels deal.