Local food and drink producers have welcomed the chance to vent about a push from the European Union that would force them to re-badge some of their products.
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The EU wants protections for food and drink brands in its region, under a proposed free-trade deal with Australia.
Were it successful, Australian feta-makers could be forced to refer to their cheese as "Australian feta" and local spirit distillers would need to avoid using the term "Scotch".
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Packaging might also need to be changed for some Australian products, such as mozzarella cheese, so it doesn't look too similar to European brands.
Timboon Distillery produces its own single malt whisky, vodka and limoncello, among other things.
Owner and distiller Josh Walker said he would be putting his two-cents in about the proposed restrictions in a bid to protect his products into the future.
"We are going to submit a definition of what we want protected, myself and other members of the Australian Distillers Association are looking to get things protected like 'Australian Gin', 'Tasmanian Whisky' and 'Victorian Whisky'," he said.
"Our whisky is getting pretty well-renowned and while it's early days in 100 years' time we don't want people trying to take ownership of Victorian Whisky for example.
"If Scotch whisky can have certain restrictions, then we can do the same."
While he has some concerns, Mr Walker said he welcomes stricter rules around producing alcohol.
"There's not a lot of regulating happening at the moment, we need to make sure products are authentic," he said.
"People can rip off single malt whisky by adding colour to it. The legal definition of single malt is it has to be distilled at one place, has to be aged in a wooden barrel for a minimum of two years and only have one grain ingredient.
"No-one is really regulating that which is why we need more reform in the area to stop any cowboys coming in throwing whisky in a barrel for two weeks and calling it single malt."
Products on the European chopping block include:
CHEESE
- Feta (Greece)
- Blue/white stilton (UK)
- Gouda Holland (Netherlands)
- Parmigiano Reggiano(Italy)
- Brie de Meaux(France)
- Camembert de Normandie (France)
MEAT
- Scotch beef and lamb (UK)
- Proscuttio di Parma (Italy)
- Mortadella Bologna (Italy)
SPIRITS
- Scotch Whisky (UK)
- Cognac (France)
- Irish cream (Ireland)
- Irish whiskey/whisky (Ireland)
- Ouzo (Greece/Cyprus)
- Polish Vodka (Poland)
- Swedish Vodka (Sweden)
Kalamata olives and olive oil could also be protected as a Greek product.
Trade Minister Simon Birmingham says there is no guarantee the deal will go ahead.
"We will only do with a deal with the EU if it's in Australia's national interest to do so," he told reporters in Melbourne on Tuesday.
"What we will do is drive the best possible bargain."
The federal government will consult with industries likely to be impacted by the changes over the next three months.
The Australian Dairy Industry Council said in a statement it would continue to defend the right to call dairy products by their common food names.
It put the potential impact of strict enforcement of new naming rules at up to $90 million a year in the early stages of a free trade deal.
"The ADIC estimates that the EU's demand to restrict many cheese and dairy product names could put at risk local products with an aggregate sales value of more than $650 million," the group said.
The EU is already Australia's second-largest trading partner, third-largest export destination and second-largest services export market with potentially 500 million customers.
Senator Birmingham expects negotiations will wrap up next year.
Australian Associated Press
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