US-based yoghurt firm Chobani has vowed to take its battle over the term ‘Greek’ yoghurt in the UK to the country’s Supreme Court.
The UK Court of Appeal upheld a judgement made last March that ruled ‘Greek yoghurt’ had to be made in Greece.
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Total yoghurt owner Fage had claimed Chobani’s product could not be labelled ‘Greek’ as it was made in the US.
Speaking to just-food yesterday (30 January), a spokesperson for Chobani said the company was disappointed with the result. However, the spokesperson added: “The fight is not over.”
Chobani’s yoghurt is strained a number of times to give it a thicker texture, which the firm has said is typical of a style found in Greece.
“Chobani is appealing to the Supreme Court, because we remain of the view that the population of the UK know and understand Greek yoghurt to be a product description regardless of where it is made. We remain committed to the UK market and to breaking the monopoly on the use of the term Greek Yoghurt enjoyed by Fage.”
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By GlobalDataDanone was also forced by Fage to re-label its yoghurt Danio as a “strained yoghurt” following an interim court injunction. According to reports, Fage has dropped legal proceedings against Danone. No one at Danone was immediately available for comment.
Since launching in the UK in 2012, Chobani, the number one Greek yoghurt manufacturer in the US, has faced problems. It “temporarily” withdrew products from UK shelves last November, claiming it wanted to relaunch the products using locally-sourced ingredients.
