Cyprus wins EU protection for halloumi cheese

Halloumi, a traditional Cypriot cheese known as Hellim in Turkish, is to be entered to the EU’s register of protected designations of origin, a move intended to promote unity on the divided island. Usually made from goat and sheep’s milk, halloumi is currently only a registered trademark, giving it less protection from production made elsewhere. Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades in a tweet on Monday (29 March) hailed a “milestone day for #Halloumi/ #Hellim and our country”. “A shield of protection is now in place. Significant prospects for increasing exports of our national product, to the benefit of all Cypriot producers, Greek and Turkish,” he wrote. The designation, which was agreed by EU member states last week, means that only cheese made in Cyprus under specified conditions can be called halloumi, or hellim. Its formal adoption and publication are now expected by mid-April, an EU spokeswoman told AFP on Tuesday. “This is a historic achievement for Cyprus,” crowning “years ...