Common food and wine terms – like parmesan, bologna or chateau – are used on thousands of products around the world to accurately guide consumers to foods they know and love. Europe wants to monopolize these terms to unfairly stifle competition. Learn more.
The Consortium for Common Food Names (CCFN), U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) and National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) today welcomed the U.S. Trade Representative’s prioritization in this year’s Special 301 Report of the importance of preserving U.S. food and beverage producers’ market access rights in the face of persistent efforts by the European Union (EU) to misuse geographical indications (GIs) and create non-tariff barriers to trade in markets around the world. Read More »
A judicial ruling has determined that “gruyere” is a generic style of cheese that can come from anywhere. The decision reaffirms that all cheesemakers, not just those in France or Switzerland, can continue to create and market cheese under this common name.Read More »
Over the first two quarters of 2021, the Consortium for Common Food Names (CCFN) and a coalition of other U.S. dairy stakeholders aggressively defended the generic status of the term “gruyere” in the U.S. market against efforts by the Swiss and French gruyere Consortiums to monopolize use of the term.Read More »
In a testament to years of CCFN advocacy efforts to elevate the issue of GI abuse to U.S. government officials, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative highlighted the issue in its annual National Trade Estimate (NTE) report on tariff and non-tariff barriers to U.S. exports. The issue of common names was included in USTR’s press statement on the report, with the agency viewing the issue as a priority concern.Read More »
As we work to introduce more people around the world to our great cheeses, we need to make sure that names with a long history of widespread usage remain open to us.
— Agri-Mark
Profiles of the heroes who protect and promote common food namesBobby Koch, President and CEO, Wine Institute
“CCFN and its members need to stay vigilant so the interests of producers of products with common names will continue to have access to global markets.” Read more
As we work to introduce more people around the world to our great cheeses, we need to make sure that names with a long history of widespread usage remain open to us.
