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Nobody is prohibited from using the name "parmesan," which is a relatively recent term. That's why you can buy powdered "parmesan" from your grocery store that'

Nobody is prohibited from using the name "parmesan," which is a relatively recent term. That's why you can buy powdered "parmesan" from your grocery store that's up to 8% cellulose and made in the US. People are prohibited from using the name "Parmigiano Reggiano," which for centuries was not a general term, but the name of the specific regional cheese. What tends to happen is that a name that gets famous for some high-quality regional food is then used by someone else making a lower-quality food that's cheaper to produce, which does mislead consumers. This is exactly the sort of thing trademarks are for. A great book on all this is Real Food, Fake Food.

strbean 3y ago
In the US, yes, but we have a history of ignoring or only partially adhering to these types of restrictions. In Europe, this is not the case: > Within the European Union, the term "Parmesan" may be used, by law, to refer only to Parmigiano Reggiano itself, which must be made in a restricted geographic area, using stringently defined methods. See also champagne vs. méthode champenoise vs. méthode vs. méthode traditionnelle. In the EU you can't even use the second option anymore. In California, it was initially referred to by the first option, then the second, and now a mix of the second and the third. I don't think this is helping consumers at all. If they want champagne from the Champagne region of France, they can tell immediately from the label.