The terms PGI and PDO are geographical indications created by the EU to protect the names of products which come from specific regions and production processes.
Protected Geographical Indication (PGI)
For a product awarded with Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) certificate, at least one stage of the production, processing or preparation must take place in that region.
Some popular products with PGI status you may like:
Protected Designation of Origin (PDO)
For a product awarded with Protected Designations of Origin (PDO) certification, all raw ingredients and production processes must take place in the original region.
Some popular products with PDO status you may like:
- Odysea 100% Sheep’s Milk Feta Cheese
- Odysea Organic Feta Cheese
- Odysea Sheep & Goats Milk Feta Cheese
- Odysea Greek Feta Cubes
- Odysea Kalamata Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Roussas Galotyri
- Odysea Sheep & Goat’s Milk Halloumi
- Odysea Halloumi
- Odysea Manouri Cheese
- Krokos Red Saffron Stigmata
Why is Feta Awarded PDO Status?
Authentic Feta must be made up of at least 70% Sheep’s Milk and can only come from specific regions in Greece;
Macedonia, Thrace, Epirus, Thessaly, central Greece, the Poloponnese and the prefecture of Lesvos.
The reason for this has less to do with the nationalism and more to do with ecology.
Greece in general and the mountainous regions in particular are ecologically rich and diverse.
According to the Greek Ministry for the Environment, there are over 5,500 different recorded species of flora in Greece; about 1,000 of those species are endemic to the land and over 700 of those may be found only in Greece.
That’s what the sheep and goats are eating, and it comes through in their milk.
This biodiversity was one of the central factors leading the EU granting PDO status to Feta. In the opinion of the Commission, biodiversity coupled with the special breeds of sheep and goats used for milk gave Feta a specific aroma and flavour.
Discover our range of PDO Feta here.
Explore our recipes using PDO Feta here.
