Protecting valuable food brand names:
Italy’s food fraud police say they have seized about 1,000 hams because the meat was branded with fake Parma prosciutto trademarks.
Police said Wednesday the prosciutto isn’t dangerous to eat. But the ham wasn’t made by Italy’s premier prosciutto makers, who can use the name Parma, the Italian city famed for the delicacy.
If ham can be sold under a false trademark, the terrorists will have won.
As a certified major foodie, I can tell you that Italy and France, and I think Spain too, has major protections for such labeled foods. Culturally it’s important to them, and the money generated by such protected foods is enormous. So they aren’t just making the name safe. It’s a lot like a Chinese carmaker started selling their home made sports car as a Corvette. In fact, we call it piracy, and get angry about it.
As a certified major foodie, I can tell you that Italy and France, and I think Spain too, has major protections for such labeled foods. Culturally it’s important to them, and the money generated by such protected foods is enormous. So they aren’t just making the name safe. It’s a lot like a Chinese carmaker started selling their home made sports car as a Corvette. In fact, we call it piracy, and get angry about it.
Daryl, this is posted for its humor value probably more than anything. Dont be such a ham!