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🏷️ Protected cheese names

Category ✔ Checked: 11.2026 · sources: 7 Updated: — Added why names are protected; the register count is now 272; a tip in the side panel

Cheeses whose names are protected in the EU as PDO or PGI: made only in their region to an approved specification; the eAmbrosia register lists over 270.

Protected cheese names are names that, in the EU, only a cheese from a defined place and made to an approved specification may carry: a protected designation of origin (PDO) or a protected geographical indication (PGI).

The rules are set by Regulation (EU) 2024/1143. For a PDO every stage, from milk to ripening, takes place in the defined area, and the cheese's quality comes from the local environment and the skill of local cheesemakers. For a PGI at least one stage must take place in the region. A separate scheme, the traditional speciality guaranteed (TSG), protects a recipe without tying it to a place, as with mozzarella. A protected name may not be used even with words such as "type" or "style", nor evoked. In case C-132/05 (2008) the EU Court of Justice held that "Parmesan" evokes Parmigiano Reggiano.

The EU eAmbrosia register lists 272 registered cheese names: 207 PDOs and 65 PGIs. France (58), Italy (56), Spain (32) and Greece (25) have the most. The first large list, 104 names, was registered on 21 June 1996 by Regulation (EC) No 1107/96, including Parmigiano Reggiano, Grana Padano, Gorgonzola, Roquefort, Comté, Camembert de Normandie and Queso Manchego. Feta became a PDO in 2002 and halloumi in 2014. Examples of PGIs are Gouda Holland and Emmental de Savoie.

How to choose. Look on the label for the EU logo, red and yellow for PDO and blue and yellow for PGI, and for the full name of the cheese. Many cheeses carry the name embossed or branded on the rind. "Feta-style cheese" means it is not feta. The EU–Ukraine Association Agreement provides for mutual protection of geographical indications.

Why it exists. The regulation sets several aims: fair competition and a fair return for producers, support for rural areas and the preservation of local know-how, and reliable information on origin for buyers. So a name works both as a guarantee for you and as a reason to keep making the cheese where it began. 1

Why this matters to you: a protected name guarantees origin and method of production, checked by independent bodies. Knowing the logos, you can tell the original from an imitation and understand exactly what you are paying for.

Facts

Legal basisRegulation (EU) 2024/1143 on geographical indications
Country272 cheeses (207 PDO, 65 PGI); France 58, Italy 56, Spain 32, Greece 25
DurationFirst 104 names registered on 21 June 1996 (Regulation 1107/96)
Main useGuarantee of origin and traditional production method

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Frequently asked questions

What does PDO mean on cheese?

PDO is the EU protected designation of origin. All production, from milk to ripening, takes place in one area under an approved specification, as with Parmigiano Reggiano or Roquefort.

What is the difference between PDO and PGI?

For a PDO all production stages must take place in the region; for a PGI at least one. The PDO logo is red and yellow, the PGI logo blue and yellow.

How many cheeses have a protected name in the EU?

The eAmbrosia register lists 272 registered cheese names: 207 PDOs and 65 PGIs. France (58) and Italy (56) lead.

Is it true that parmesan is just a generic name for hard cheese?

Not in the EU. In case C-132/05 (2008) the EU Court of Justice held that "Parmesan" evokes the protected name Parmigiano Reggiano, so only cheese made to that specification may use it.

Are there Ukrainian cheeses in the EU register?

No Ukrainian cheese is among the registered cheeses in eAmbrosia so far. The EU–Ukraine Association Agreement provides for mutual protection of geographical indications.

Similar

🇮🇹 Italian cheeses · 🇫🇷 French cheeses · 🇪🇸 Spanish cheeses · 🇬🇷 Greek cheeses · 🪨 Hard cheeses · 🧀 Semi-hard cheeses

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