Cyprus feta cheese (halloumi) sparks controversy

 

In early July, Germany seized a batch of halloumi cheese that did not meet the EU's Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) standard and reported it to the EU, which asked Cyprus to explain th.
Media reports said the cheese was produced by a large dairy producer and exported to Germa.
On July 12, President Anastasiades demanded that the halloumi produced by dairy producers must meet PDO standards, with a deadline of July 1 If the Dairy Producers Association accepts the plan, there will be a two-month grace period during which halloumi that does not meet PDO standards can continue to be sold, and dairy products that do not meet PDO standards after the grace period can be sold under other nam.
If dairy producers do not accept the government's plan, starting from July 18, all halloumi that does not meet PDO standards will be immediately removed from the domestic market and will not be allowed to be export.

 

Halloumi is Serbia's most important export agricultural product, with an annual export value of about 270 million eur.
In October 2021, after years of hard work, halloumi was listed as a PDO product, and there are detailed regulations on the origin, raw materials, and form of hallou.
Halloumi, which is produced only in Se and is derived from the milk of goat and sheep, which are endemic to Se, is PDO compliant, avoiding counterfeiting in other countri.
The standard sets a transition peri.
During the transition period, the proportion of goat milk in halloumi raw materials should not be less than 2
After the transition period ends in 2024, the proportion will be further increased to 5
A random inspection by the Serbian government found that about 20% of halloumi on the market did not meet the requirements for the proportion of goat mi.

 

Concerning the proportion of goat milk, various stakeholders have heated debat.
Cheese makers believe that according to this standard, the production of goat milk of the Setté breed needs to be doubled to maintain the existing halloumi production, which cannot be achieved in the short te.
If the PDO standard is strictly implemented, the output of halloumi will drop sharply, and the PDO standard is only applicable in the European Uni.
The third country market outside the European Union will be occupied by other counterfeit halloumi manufacturers, including the main export places of hallou.
United Kingd.

In addition, halloumi with a high proportion of goat milk tastes too strong and pungent, and is not popular in foreign marke.

Cattle farmers are concerned that the new standard will lead to unsalable milk, and sheep farmers have strongly criticized the government's failure to strictly enforce the PDO standard, which has pushed the price of goat milk below co.

In May, sheep farmers burned hay and dumped goat milk in front of the presidential palace, protesting the slow government acti.

Since then, the President of Serbia has held intensive meetings to discuss in depth with various stakeholders, trying to find a soluti.