Designation of Origin

During the 15th century the makers of Roquefort cheese suspected that they might have a cheese on their hands which was worth protecting and their lobbying resulted in a parliamentary decree, regulating the production thereof. This decree was the forerunner for the Law of Protection of the Place of Origin which was passed on 6 May 1919, specifying the region and commune where a given product should be manufactured.

In 1925 Roquefort became the first cheese to be awarded an Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) label and since then more than 40 French cheeses have been assigned this status. The first international agreement on cheese names was signed between Austria, Denmark, France, Italy Norway, Sweden and Switzerland at the Stresa Convention in 1925.

The most recent example of the importance of product protection was in October 2005 when the European Court granted Greece’s application that Feta is “the fruit of ancestral tradition of the extensive pasture and transhumance” and that “the specific flora” of “certain areas of Greece” confers “a savour and a particular flavour to it”. This is despite the fact that 90% of European Feta was made outside of Greece. These countries now have until October 2007 to eliminate the word Feta from the products but it does not affect Feta which is produced outside Europe.

Different countries use different descriptive words to refer to the protection system for agricultural products such as appellation, denomination, origin or area. However, they all endeavour to protect quality conscious manufacturers, their products and areas from, sometimes unethical, producers who want to take advantage of the better-known products. Controlled origin products guarantee the following product criteria:

	Consistently produced in the traditional manner
	Ingredients from a designated geographical area
	Characteristics which conform to clearly defined standards
	Strictly regulated production
Wine is the one agricultural product which has benefited the most by being protected and even New Wine World countries such as the USA, Canada and South Africa have already instituted appellation regimes. The USA has their American Viticultural Areas (AVA), Canada the Designated Viticultural Areas (DVA) and South Africa, Wine of Origin. European appellations focus more on terrior and production methods whereas USA and South African ones more on geographical and varietal aspects. The question is being posed whether the time has not arrived for South African cheesemakers to understand the importance of a Cheese of Designation programme to protect themselves, their consumers and their quality. The two most important factors in making unique cheese are raw materials and the human hand. Cheese made from the milk of a specific milk breed has intrinsic values not obtainable from other milks and coupled to a specific manufacturing method, makes for a unique cheese. Although milk quality and composition play an enormous part in cheesemaking, it is ultimately the individual method of the cheesemaker which shapes the cheese and its flavour profile. It therefore makes sense to protect his/her knowledge and intellectual capital though a designation programme. Quality is a complex and evolving notion when it comes to cheese as it covers many aspects, not just "food safety", taste and gastronomy, but also trust between suppliers and customers. Economic and social dynamics are bringing changes in these aspects, especially in developing countries such as South Africa. Quality is becoming a key element of business strategy and a deciding factor in consumer choices. Registered designations of origin cheeses, with distinctive labels, denote high-quality products and are bound to draw the attention of discerning consumers. Genuine products, such as those covered by the designation of origin, exemplify aspects of local culture, history and production methods and the respect of local traditions. It is an expression of their diversity and part of the regional and distinctive heritage. So, are South African cheesemakers ready for a Cheese of Designation programme? Please click here if you support such a programme.