Switzerland must do more to defend Gruyère cheese and other products that have a protected status in Switzerland, according to the Swiss House of Representatives. The recent decision by a US court to allow the continued production and marketing of Gruyère cheese in the United States is a slap in the face for all those involved in the AOP (Protected Designation of Origin) Gruyère sector, said Jacques Nicolet, a member of the right-wing Swiss People’s Party (SVP), in parliament. + Why the US court angered Swiss cheesemakers In March, a US court of appeals confirmed that the term gruyère is a common label for cheese and can’t be reserved for a type from a specific region, namely in Switzerland or France, on the US market. This decision followed a legal battle that has been going on for several years between the consortium of Swiss and French cheesemakers from the region around the town of Gruyères in western Switzerland and an American organization active in the production and...
