(ANSA) - ROME, MAR 4 - Italy on Wednesday moved to defend its
iconic balsamic vinegar after Slovenia said any vinegar mixture
wit concentrated must could be called balsamic vinegar. The farm
ministry wrote to the European Commission contesting Slovenia's
move. Agriculture Minister Stefano Patuanelli said last month
that the government will take action to defend Balsamic vinegar
of Modena from attempts by the Slovenia authorities to get
around the system that protects its authenticity. The consortium
of producers of Balsamic vinegar of Modena has sounded that
alarm after the Slovenian government notified the European
Commission of a national law which aims to transform the
denomination "balsamic vinegar" into a product standard. This
consortium says this conflicts with EU law and undermines the
PDO and PGI labelling system protecting the authenticity of
foods produced in a specific geographical area. "The protection
of Italian wine and gastronomy is one of the government's
priorities," said Patuanelli. "So, we will do everything
possible to defend Balsamic vinegar of Modena from these illicit
attacks". (ANSA).
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