As of: January 22, 2024, 11:45 a.m
By: Stella Henrich
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Apparently fake feta cheese containing cow's milk is in circulation at Aldi and Lidl.
The fake products are said to come from two manufacturers.
Kassel – During inspections at Aldi and Lidl, incorrectly labeled feta products are said to have been noticed.
This is what chip.de
reports
and is based on a report from
Grocery Newspaper (LZ).
The accusation is that the cheese from two producers in the Thessaly region contains cow's milk.
A no-go for feta cheese, because one thing is certain: there are strict European Union regulations for the production of feta cheese.
Feta can therefore only be made in Greece and only from Greek sheep or goat milk.
Many consumers are likely to be annoyed by such news from the grocery store.
Deceptive packaging, hidden price increases and lower packaging units at the same prices have long been irritating consumers when shopping and have brought consumer protection to the fore.
The traffic light coalition's hammer of cuts that has now been decided will also hit consumers deep in their wallets in the future.
Traditionally, feta cheese is cut into cubes and eaten with olives and tomatoes.
© Jürgen Pfeiffer/Imago
Feta cheese at Aldi and Lidl: Discounters have not yet found any fakes in German branches
According to the report, the two discounters ensure regular inspections of their products, which bear the EU “Protected Designation of Origin (PDO)” label.
The indication “Protected Designation of Origin” (PDO) “identifies a product which comes from a specific place, region or, exceptionally, a country, and whose quality or characteristics are due primarily or exclusively to the particular natural environment, including inherent natural and human factors is,” says the website
fetapdo.eu
, which is supported by the European Union.
In addition, the production phases must take place within the specified geographical location.
Aldi and Lidl have not yet found any counterfeit feta cheese among their products.
In France, however, this is said to have already happened.
Greek media report a lack of controls in feta production.
Feta or no feta?
Feta is white cheese in a salt solution.
According to a report by the SWR market check,
feta cheese consists of at least 70 percent sheep's milk.
The rest can be goat's milk.
Feta cheese is also a protected designation of origin.
The milk may only come from Greek animals that live on the mainland or on the island of Lesbos.
The EU has determined this.
Sheep cheese
consists exclusively of sheep's milk.
Sheep's cheese is often equated with feta cheese.
Which, however, is not true.
An important difference between the two cheeses is that feta does not have the same protected name of origin as feta.
Sheep cheese, on the other hand, can be produced in different countries and regions, which means variations in taste and consistency.
Shepherd's cheese,
on the other hand, is a pure cow's milk product.
In other words: In contrast to the other varieties, shepherd's cheese is made exclusively from cow's milk.
For this reason, this product is also cheaper and has a milder aroma.
Feta and shepherd's cheese are slightly firmer in consistency than creamy sheep's cheese.
Shepherd's cheese, on the other hand, has lots of small holes, while feta is smoother.
Source: SWR market check
Which dairies are suspected of producing counterfeit feta cheese has not been officially published.
Stricter controls are now required.
(sthe)