Traditional Grimsby smoked fish is said to be the latest UK product to be granted protected name status. It is told that the product has just completed a six-month consultation on its application for Protected Geographical Indications (PGI) approval and if there are no objections, the European Commission (EC) is likely to grant it PGI status over the next couple of months.
It is informed that the Traditional Grimsby smoked fish application, originally submitted in May 2000, covers fresh fish, molluscs, and crustaceans and products derived from them, which meet the appropriate PGI criteria. PGI status provides legal protection to prevent producers that don’t meet the specific PGI criteria from passing off their products as that named.
Irene Bocchetta, EU protected food names manager for consultancy ADAS, opined that if there are no objections within two months or so then the Traditional Grimsby smoked fish will be placed in the Official Journal and have its own name. Compared to hundreds of foods and beverages that have protected status on the Continent, in the UK just 15 have PDO status; 17 PGI status; and only one, Traditional Farmfresh Turkey, has TSG status.
While food and farming minister Jim Fitzpatrick recently called for more UK producers to apply for protected name status, in a move welcomed by the Food and Drink Federation, the EC is currently considering substantial changes to the EU’s protected food names in an attempt to reduce the widespread consumer confusion inherent with so many different labelling schemes. Currently for the UK, 10 PGI applications, three PDOs and two TSGs are awaiting approval.
