Greece wins sole right to 'feta cheese' label

Only Greece has the right to call its white salty cheese feta, the European Union's Court of Justice ruled today.

The European Court of Justice ruled the feta definition was reserved exclusively for cheese from Greece as it had been registered as a protected designation of origin in 2002.

Germany and Denmark asked the European court to annul the 2002 decision to make feta a Greek-only product, the same kind of protection as that enjoyed by Italy's parma ham and French champagne.

The ruling was a victory for Greece, where feta cheese is believed to have been produced for around 6,000 years.

The Greek government has campaigned since 1994 for geographical protection for local feta, which is made from a blend of sheep and goats' milk.