A bowl of pasta is only complete with a handful of hard, crumbly parmesan cheese. The question is whether to grate, shave or – foodies look away now – sprinkle it from a jar.
Italian producers of parmigiano reggiano are fighting a bid by food giant Kraft to brand the canisters of dried powdered cheese found on supermarket shelves in Australia as “parmesan” because it would confuse consumers.
Caterina Borsato, owner of Caterina’s Cucina Bar in Melbourne’s CBD.Credit:Justin McManus
Consorzio Del Formaggio Parmigiano Reggiano, a consortium which oversees cheese production from 321 dairies in northern Italy, is appealing a decision by the Australian Trade Marks Office to allow Kraft to use the word parmesan.
The consortium opposed the application to trademark “Kraft parmesan cheese” on the grounds that the word parmesan is an English translation of parmigiano reggiano, a product which Australian consumers would expect is made under strict conditions in Italy.
The consortium president, Nicola Bertinelli, gave evidence that parmigiano reggiano cheese dated back to the Middle Ages, with the first steps to protect the name taken in the 1920s.
Producers of parmigiano reggiano are trying to block Kraft from using the name “parmesan”.Credit:
However Kraft argued in its evidence that parmesan was a generic term for a style of hard cheese that was produced in Australia and various other countries, not just Italy.
The company said it had sold parmesan cheese in the USA since 1945 and subsequently in Australia after expanding to the country in 1966.
The Kraft product does not say where it is made on the label, except that it is “packed in Australia from imported ingredients”.
The listed ingredients are milk, salt, starter culture, enzymes and an anti-caking agent.
Parmigiano reggiano has a minium ageing period of 12 months, with an average maturation length of 24 months.
Both the consortium and Kraft produced dictionary definitions to support their arguments.
Tracey Berger, a delegate of the Registrar of Trade Marks, said that it was highly unlikely that Australian cheese consumers would confuse Kraft’s jarred product with wedges of parmigiano reggiano produced in Italy.
“It is telling that none … have stated in their evidence that if they saw cheese bearing the [Kraft] trademark that they would think it was parmigiano reggiano, from Italy or associated with Italy,” she found.
“Australian consumers of cheese, whether ‘informed’ or ‘uninformed’, understand that parmesan has more than one signification.”
Caterina Borsato, owner of Caterina’s Cucina Bar in Melbourne’s CBD, is one of the restaurant owners who gave evidence in the case on behalf of the parmigiano reggiano consortium.
She said real parmesan was made in a specific region of Italy under certain rules that preserve quality.
Caterina Borsato, owner of Caterina’s Cucina Bar, with a wedge of parmigiano reggiano. Credit:Justin McManus
“It’s the cows, it’s the weather, it’s the grass they eat, certain qualities are imparted into the product,” she said.
“They’ve done it with champagne, they’ve done it with sherry, why wouldn’t you do it with something that is so Italian.”
Borsato said Kraft was a great company but “they are not producing parmigiano reggiano”.
“I don’t want to say it’s better or worse, it’s a question of it being different,” she said.
“Parmigiano reggiano is salty, its’ crumbly, it’s made in a certain way, it’s aged for a certain length of time. If you use the word parmesan, you are thinking it’s parmigiano.”
Cheese expert William Studd also spoke on behalf of the Italian producers in the case. He told The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald that the two products couldn’t be more different.
“It’s chalk and cheese, the stuff that’s pre-grated and sold in little shakers, it smells and tastes completely different,” he said.
“It’s passing off an inferior product as something it’s not and I think it’s misleading.”
The parmigiano reggiano consortium recently filed an appeal in the Federal Court seeking to overturn the Australian Trade Marks Office decision.
The consortium and Kraft did not respond to emails seeking comment.
The Morning Edition newsletter is our guide to the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up here.
Most Viewed in National
From our partners
Source: Read Full Article