Everyone will produce PDO halloumi soon says Kadis

The full implementation of halloumi PDO (protected designation of origin) is expected “very soon” Agriculture Minister Costas Kadis said on Monday, as more halloumi makers were expected to register in the certification system by the end of the month.

Speaking after the meeting with representatives of farmers’ organisations, chaired by President Nicos Anastasiades at the presidential palace, Kadis said it was “a matter of days” for cheese makers to start producing halloumi in line with PDO specifications.

“There is determination on the part of the government for the full implementation of the regulation as soon as possible,” he said.

So far, 32 halloumi producers are PDO certified, while the largest producers had not been initially registered, said the minister. This led to Cyprus’ largest dairy producer be reported to the European Commission by Germany, which had found non-PDO halloumi on its supermarket shelves. The Commission gave the government, which had turned a blind eye to the sale of non PDO certified halloumi, 10 days to respond.

Kadis expects that as from today, big dairy producers would register in the system en masse so that as soon as possible they could start producing PDO-certified halloumi.

“We want there to be an agreed transition to the new order of things so that very soon the legislation will be fully implemented and only PDO halloumi will be on the shelves of supermarkets in Cyprus and the world,” the minister said.

The president also expressed a clear position that the legislation must be implemented, Kadis added, and that we will not accept any deviation from what the relevant regulation, which protects halloumi as a PDO product, stipulates.

On Friday, a letter was sent to all local cheese producers,  reminding them of their obligation to follow the PDO specifications for the production of the traditional cheese.

Under the PDO specs, 25 per cent of the milk in halloumi should come from sheep and goats (rising to 51 per cent in a couple of years), with the remainder from cow’s milk.

Until now most producers used only or a large percentage of cow’s milk, which they said, ensured a gentler flavour, preferred by European consumers.