ECONOMY

Cheesy tricks buying time for fake feta

BRUSSELS – Three months or more after the irrevocable decision in Greece’s favor for the use of the name feta, an unorthodox war continues to rage on the shelves of Europe’s supermarkets. The object of that war is the survival of fake «feta,» using all kinds of tricks to tell consumers that «this is feta» without actually saying it. Therefore, the packaging may carry the description «white cheese,» but on the supermarket shelf there may be a small label that reads «feta.» Another trick is the use of the word «feta,» which in various languages, such as Italian, means «slice,» to introduce a piece of white cheese as «feta» in reference to the slice on sale. Although it is the European Commission that has imposed the law that only allows Greek goat cheese to be called feta since October 16, 2007, it is down to member states, in this case Greece, to follow up on the proper application of the law and report any violations. Following a question by a Greek European Parliament member, the Commission stated that there has not been a single complaint from Athens on this matter, so no process can yet begin to root out Europe’s feta imposters.

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