CYPRUS is one step closer to protecting the origin of local delight, halloumi, after a decision was finally taken on the recipe of the white rubbery cheese.
Cheese makers in Cyprus have been arguing for months over the true contents of halloumi, which has a history on the island of at least 500 years. The six million dollar question is does halloumi come from goat, sheep or cow? The answer… ‘We’re not quite sure but any one will do’.
A decision was finally taken and Cyprus was able to apply to the EU for protection of the local product. If approved, Cyprus will be able to prevent the production of cheap imitations of halloumi both abroad and at home.
Deputy head of the agriculture department, Kyriacos Charalambous, explained that in order to register halloumi as a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), Cypriot producers had to decide first what it was made from.
“Three applications were made on what halloumi consisted of. The Cyprus Cheese Makers’ Association said one thing, cow farmers another and a joint application of sheep and goat farmers another. The special committee decided on the cheese makers’ proposal which was based on the 1984 model,” said Charalambous.
“We reached a decision to satisfy everybody, a bit like the answers given by the Delphic oracle, it can be interpreted in many ways,” he added.
The 1984 model states that halloumi is made from fresh sheep and/or goat milk or a mixture of the above plus cow milk, but in such a way so that the word ‘mixture’ does not lose its meaning.
In other words, the cheese can’t be made from 99 per cent cow milk, there must be a substantial amount of goat and or sheep milk. However, there is no specification on how much milk from each animal has to be used.
After getting legal advice from the Attorney-general on the make-up of halloumi, essentially that it had to be based on the 1984 model, the committee approved the cheese makers application and sent the formula to the EU for approval.
The dispute had dragged on due to the fact that cow farmers wanted to register halloumi without specifying how much of which milk was needed to make it, while goat and sheep farmers insisted on setting strict percentages on the quantities of each milk.
“Now we await Brussels’ approval. That way, we can reserve the word halloumi and make sure cheese products from other countries cannot be labelled as halloumi,” said Charalambous.
President of the cheese makers association, Athos Pittas, clarified that once it got registered, cheese could only be produced and labelled as halloumi if it was of Cypriot origin, and using Cypriot milk. “It doesn’t matter whether it is from goat or sheep or cow. Our position is based on the 1984 law which defines halloumi but leaves the composition of the content free,” said Pittas.
“The historic documents speak of both goat and or sheep milk and cow. Nowhere does it say how much of each. We have documents dating back to 1554, which speak of halloumi being made by all three.
“Generally speaking, over the centuries, we all know that sheep and goat were reared here. In the 1960s cows were also reared. Today, it doesn’t matter. Our historic documents mention all three animals. So you can use either one or the other, so long as its fresh milk,” added Pittas.
The cheese makers’ president warned that putting percentages on the quantity of the different milks would jeopardise the registration of halloumi as a PDO.
“If you want to specify what proportions must be used, you will have to change legislation. If you do that, then you can’t claim the product is specific to Cyprus, because it won’t have a history. You will have a new product,” he said.
“History shows halloumi was made in Cyprus according to the availability of milk. Nowhere does it mention the quantities of milk. Our application now has an excellent chance of approval by the EU,” he added.
The EU introduced legislation on geographical indications and designations of origin in July 1992 in an attempt to harmonise the protection of food products at EU level and to bring clarity to the market and protect the interests of producers and consumers. Over 600 agricultural and food products have been protected under this Regulation.
These laws protect the names of various products including wines, cheeses, hams, sausages, olives, beers, and even regional breads, fruits, and vegetables. Foods like gorgonzola, Parmigiano Reggiano, and champagne can only be labelled as such if they come from the designated region.
Roquefort cheese, for example, must be made from the milk of a certain breed of sheep, and matured in caves near the town of Rocquefort in the Aveyron region of France.
In 2002, the Commission supported the registration of Greek Feta cheese as a PDO. As such, Feta cheese can only be produced in certain areas of Greece and respecting strict product specifications.
