Say cheese: US senators call foul over EU plans to force name change

Would a Stilton cheese by any other name smell as sweet? In a rare act of bipartisan unity, dozens of US senators have wheeled into action against what they call an “absurd” European initiative that would force name changes to common cheese varieties produced in the United States.

The European Union says that names such as asiago, feta, parmesan and muenster are “geographical indicators” that should only be displayed on products made in specific areas of Europe, and not by their US-made counterparts.

The request grated on the US lawmakers.

Toomey and Charles Schumer, a New York Democrat, rallied more than half of the 100-member Senate to urge US agriculture secretary Tom Vilsack and US trade representative Michael Froman to fight the EU cheese-naming proposal.

Canada agreed recently to impose restrictions on “feta” and other cheese names.