References to protected food names are popping up all over the place, most recently last night on Countryfile where Julia Bradbury was reporting on West Country Farmhouse Cheddar, explaining that it can only be labelled "West Country" if the cheddar is made in Dorset, Somerset, Devon or Cornwall using the traditional mixing by hand or "cheddaring" process. A couple of weeks earlier the Gloucestershire Old Spot Breed achieved protected name status, becoming the first pigs in the world to be recognised for their distinctive taste. And there are another 40 British foods or beverages protected in one way or another.
The Protected Food Name scheme is an EU initiative which awards a quality stamp to authentic regional and traditional foods. There are three grades of stamp. The strongest is Protected Designation of Origin where the product must produced and processed and prepared in a geographical area, and have characteristics due to something special about the area. A red and yellow logo is available to reinforce the message. As well as the cheddar, Jersey Royal Potatoes, Yorkshire Forced Rhubarb, Orkney beef and lamb, Cornish Clotted Cream and Sardines, and Manx Loaghtan lamb are among the products falling into this category.
Protected Geographical Indication means the product has either been produced or processed or prepared in an area. Welsh beef and lamb, and Scotch beef and lamb are examples. Traditional Speciality Guaranteed means that the name must express the character of the food, like the Gloucester Old Spot. Both categories have a blue and yellow logo.
The process of authentication is a long haul, taking up to 21 months, and involving masses of paperwork.
So is the scheme a useful marketing tool? Well, a quality stamp is not a bad thing to have on a pack. Achievement of the stamp is usually reported by the press so the product gets publicity which in turn should help sales, and there is no doubt that people are increasingly interested in where their food comes from and keen to support local produce.
The Protected Food Name scheme is an EU initiative which awards a quality stamp to authentic regional and traditional foods. There are three grades of stamp. The strongest is Protected Designation of Origin where the product must produced and processed and prepared in a geographical area, and have characteristics due to something special about the area. A red and yellow logo is available to reinforce the message. As well as the cheddar, Jersey Royal Potatoes, Yorkshire Forced Rhubarb, Orkney beef and lamb, Cornish Clotted Cream and Sardines, and Manx Loaghtan lamb are among the products falling into this category.
Protected Geographical Indication means the product has either been produced or processed or prepared in an area. Welsh beef and lamb, and Scotch beef and lamb are examples. Traditional Speciality Guaranteed means that the name must express the character of the food, like the Gloucester Old Spot. Both categories have a blue and yellow logo.
The process of authentication is a long haul, taking up to 21 months, and involving masses of paperwork.
So is the scheme a useful marketing tool? Well, a quality stamp is not a bad thing to have on a pack. Achievement of the stamp is usually reported by the press so the product gets publicity which in turn should help sales, and there is no doubt that people are increasingly interested in where their food comes from and keen to support local produce.
It also means that a manufacturer or retailer cannot say a product comes from an area if it does not, and this is important if years have been spent building up the quality and reputation of a product. To take extreme examples, Jersey Royals can't come from Spain, or Scotch beef from Argentina, which does offer some protection for farmers and growers.
In a world of many logos ( Red Tractor, EBLEX mark, LEAF mark, the new green organic leaf logo from the EU to name but a few), the usefulness of protected status as a marketing tool depends on the ability to communicate what it means, and also on the strength of the message behind the product. Having a protected food name is especially useful if the product in question has either a good reputation already or has a real, fact based point of difference that can be publicised, like the Gloucester Old Spot.
Given the importance of communication, it was disappointing not to find examples of products with protected name staus giving the award some prominence. The one exception is Manx Loaghtan lamb where the website makes much of the achievement. Hopefully it has helped contribute to better sales of their product.
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