AFTER years of squabbling among the interested parties, the government was finally forced to withdraw the application to the European Union to register halloumi as a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) product. The government had been left with no choice as the Association of Dairy Product Manufacturers insisted on ignoring the traditional ingredients for Cyprus’ national cheese and introducing a new recipe, because this was the practical solution.
The dispute, from the start, was over the milk that should be used. The producers did not want to have any restrictions on how much cow’s milk they would use to make halloumi, as there were large quantities available. Since 1985, when the government reached an agreement with the Association, aimed at helping cow-milk producers, the main ingredient of halloumi has been cow’s milk.
However, traditionally, halloumi was made from sheep and goat’s milk as there were no cows in Cyprus in the old days. And logically, if the cheese was to be registered as PDO, it should have been with the traditional recipe, and not some bastardised recipe that suited dairy product manufacturers and the cattle-farmers. This was why the agriculture ministry had argued that the 51 per cent of the milk used for halloumi should have been from sheep or goats.
Dairy producers did not want such a restriction, for two reasons. Firstly, the supply of sheep and goats’ milk was too low to satisfy the demand of the producers who would have to reduce production with a risk of losing export sales. Secondly, since 1985 cow’s milk has been the main ingredient of exported halloumi, which is what consumers abroad had become accustomed to; the stronger, slightly sour flavour of the traditional recipe might put them off the cheese.
In short, both sides have strong arguments. It would be correct to use the traditional recipe, but would this not limit supply and threaten exports? On the other hand, how do we protect ‘the Cyprus cheese’ if we do not apply for Protected Destination of Origin, citing the traditional recipe?
Would this not allow other countries to carry on marketing halloumi as has been the case so far?
The danger is that another country producing halloumi could market its own brand more aggressively and displace the Cyprus version from the shelves of supermarkets abroad. Our attempts to protect our export markets by not applying for PDO could backfire – the possibility the ministry of agriculture fears. Unfortunately there are no easy answers, which is why all sides must make one more effort to work out a solution.
