The European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled on Tuesday that Germany broke EU rules by allowing German cheese to be labeled “Parmesan”. Germany has been condemned for selling “fake” parmesan which is a violation of EU food origin rules. In the future, only cheese made in Italy can be labeled “Parmesan”. This puts to rest Germany’s argument that Parmesan is a generic term for a specific type of cheese.

As part of the ECJ ruling Germany will not be punished for violating existing regulations protecting the authenticity of quality foods. The EJC said that protecting EU-protected foods is the responsibility of the country of origin.

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