Feta is undoubtedly one of the most famous Greek cheeses.
It is a part of the Greek cultural heritage, which we protect and promote in all possible and legal ways.
Feta is undoubtedly one of the most famous Greek cheeses.
It is a part of the Greek cultural heritage, which we protect and promote in all possible and legal ways.
Feta is an important part of the Mediterranean and the Greek diet. In fact, Feta occupies 70% in Greek cheese consumption.
In Greece the average per capita consumption of Feta is more than 10 kilograms a year, a unique quantity for any other cheese in the world.
Feta is recognised by the European Union as a traditional Greek product of Protected Designation of Origin (P.D.O.).
P.D.O. stands for ‘Protected Designation of Origin’ and only applies to products which comply with EU Regulation No 1151/2012. Every P.D.O. product must display the EU quality logo for P.D.O.
The detailed implementation of the Feta P.D.O. specification standard according to the relative regulation and the requirements of the Greek legislation and the certification organisation (ELGO-DIMITRA) is a prerequisite for its continued protection by the European Union.
Feta packaging must also display the Agrocert logo and certification number of the production site.
Feta’s commercial success is relied to the production of a guaranteed high quality product and a competitive cost.
Feta is prepared and matured exclusively in a legally defined geographical area consisting of Thrace, Macedonia, Epirus, Thessaly, Sterea Hellas, Peloponnese and the Prefecture of Lesvos.
The main ingredients are fresh sheep’s milk or mixtures of sheep and goats milk with a proportion of up to 30 % of goat’s milk.
Feta is produced from breeds of animals traditionally grown and fed in the above area and whose diet is based on its natural flora.
It is forbidden to manufacture Feta outside its legally defined geographical area of production.
It is prohibited to produce Feta in the legally defined geographical area with imported sheep and goats milk or milk from animals that are not grown and fed in that area.
Name of producer of Feta and/or specific area of production needs to be stated in full writing on the label.
Production date, packing date and use by date are obligatory to be written on the package.
Feta is matured for at least 60 days.
As per the P.D.O. requirements every pack of Feta sold is marked with an ‘FE’ number. This is a sequential number enabling each dairy to trace each pack of Feta sold.
The FE number, obligatory to monitor the quantities of Feta produced and packed by a producer, monitors quantitative balance in each production site.
Feta’s moisture content should not exceed 56% and its fat in dry matter content must be at least 43%.
It is prohibited to produce Feta from milk other than sheep and goat’s.
It is prohibited to add to in the milk other types of milk such as cow’s milk, condensed milk, milk powder, milk proteins and caseinates.
It is forbidden to use antibiotics, preservatives, additives and food colours at all stages of its production.
It is forbidden to include on Feta’s packaging information and nutritional claims, which do not correspond to reality and mislead the consumers.
Feta is a white soft cheese, matured in brine that has a salty and tangy taste enhanced by the brine.
It is a white cheese with irregular holes throughout. Blocks may feature marks from the mold used.
Feta can be included on a cheese platter or crumbled on a traditional Greek salad, melted in a spanakopita, pizza or pie.
It tastes delicious with olive oil, roasted red peppers and grilled vegetables.
In Greece, it is forbidden to use in the traditional Greek Salad any cheese other than FETA.
