Asda loses Parma ham legal battle
European Court upholds regional produce rulings
May 20 2003
Asda has lost a European court battle over the right to use the name Parma ham for meat sliced by the UK supermarket operator in the UK.
The Wal-Mart owned supermarket chain dismissed as “barmy” a ruling that allows it to use the term when it freshly slices Parma hams for customers on its in-store delicatessen counters, but not if the ham is pre-sliced and packaged.
Asda has fought for six years for the right to use the description for ham bought from the Parma region of Italy and sliced and packaged by Asda in the UK.
The European Court of Justice upheld the rights of Italian producers, who insist that genuine Parma ham has to be sliced and packed in its home region. The court also moved to protect Grana Padano cheese, which a French company has been importing whole from Italy and grating in France.
The court ruling said: “Maintaining the quality and reputation of Grana Padano cheese and Parma ham justifies the rule that the product must be grated or sliced and packaged in the region of production.” Italian producers registered both names with the EU in 1996, prompting the legal challenges.
Asda, which now pre-slices and packs in Parma rather than a packaging plant in Wiltshire, said: “The court has been duped by the Parma producers’ ham-fisted attempt to push up the price of their products.
“Our argument for the court was based on common sense – no one doubts that Scotch beef remains Scottish if sliced in Southampton; Jersey potatoes are still Jerseys when boiled in Blackpool; Cheddar’s still Cheddar if grated in Gretna.
“We asked the court to apply the same logic to Parma ham sliced outside the Parma region to ensure that we are able to get the best value possible for our customers. After all, we are still allowed to slice Parma ham on our deli counters and sell it as Parma ham – it’s barmy!”
Under the EU’s Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) law, certificates protecting 570 items of local produce form across Europe have been granted, including Scottish beef and English Stilton cheese, and well as Greek Kalamata olives and Spanish Rioja wine.
