Severe consequences for dairy if U.S. fails to confront EU aggression on common food names
A study commissioned by USDEC shows the dairy industry could see a dramatic drop in demand for U.S. cheeses.
A new study commissioned by the Arlington, Va.-based U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) and the Consortium for Common Food Names forecasts severe consequences for U.S. cheese exports if the European Union (EU) is successful in further expanding restrictions on the use of “generic” terms such as Parmesan, Asiago and feta.
If the EU’s geographical indication (GI) initiatives were to be enforced on U.S. cheeses, the study conducted by Informa Agribusiness Consulting predicts the dairy industry could see a dramatic drop in demand for U.S. cheeses, with prices falling 14% and resulting revenue losses between $9.5 billion and $20.2 billion, depending on consumers’ willingness to pay for recognizable cheese names, USDEC said.