Camembert war on Normandy claim
Cheese producers attack leading dairy and supermarket companies over improper use of Fabriqué en Normandie label
SOME of France's largest cheese producers are being sued over their use of the use of the 'Made in Normandy' statement on their camemberts.
A group of angry producers are attacking dairy firms Lactalis, Bongrain and Isigny Sainte-Mère as well as several supermarket chains over the alleged improper use of the slogan Fabriqué en Normandie when they are not part of the "Camembert de Normandie" Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée.
The producers, from the Association de Défense et de Gestion de l'AOC Camembert de Normandie, say the slogan has been misused by the companies for many years.
They want the companies to withdraw the statement from their packaging - and ask that camemberts already bearing the slogan be recalled immediately.
To qualify for the AOC accreditation, camembert should be made from hand-ladled raw milk taken from Normandy cows and also produced within approved geographical areas. This rigorous specification justifies a price up to twice as high as other camemberts made outside the region.
Only 5% of camemberts made in France are made this way, and only nine cheese producers and 500 milk producers can claim this statement of origin.
