Feta

Since 2002, the European Union has granted feta Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status, reserving the name exclusively for brined white cheese produced in Greece from sheep's milk or a blend with up to 30% goat's milk. The ruling followed a long legal battle and was upheld by the European Court of Justice in 2005.

Authentic feta is made from sheep's milk or a mixture of sheep's milk with up to 30% goat's milk, as specified by the Greek PDO regulations. Cheese made entirely from cow's milk cannot legally be sold as feta within the European Union.

Denmark had been exporting white cheese labeled 'feta' for decades, prompting the European Commission to rule that the name was reserved for Greek production. After losing a series of appeals at the European Court of Justice, Denmark was required to stop using the term 'feta' on its products sold within the EU.

Feta is typically matured in brine for a minimum of two months before being sold, which gives it its characteristic tangy, salty flavor and crumbly but creamy texture. Some higher-quality fetas are aged longer in wooden barrels, which is reflected in Greek market distinctions between barrel-feta and tin-feta.