23 October 2007, 12:00 PM
  • Staffordshire Cheese has become the latest UK product to be recognised under EU law for its quality and regional identity.

The award of the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) means that 36 UK products now enjoy protection under the EU Protected Food Name Scheme. Under this scheme food names are legally protected on the basis of their link to a specific geographical area or because they are made to a traditional recipe.
Jeff Rooker, minister for sustainable farming, food and animal health, said, “This is excellent news and further proof that quality British regional food is gaining the wider recognition it deserves. This scheme provides farmers and producers with a way to add value to their product and meet the ever increasing consumer demand for more regional food.
Together with Food from Britain, we are working with a wide range of organisations to raise awareness of this scheme and encourage more applications.”
John Knox from the Staffordshire Cheese Company said, “It is great news for us. Staffordshire Cheese is unique and has a strong identity based on its taste and texture due to the distinctive nature of the cows diet, the mixture of starter cultures used and the size of the cloth bound cheese - I would encourage more producers to apply to the scheme.”