Fonterra Co-operative Group has secured a legal victory in Singapore, affirming that the term Parmesan cheese does not equate to “Parmigiano Reggiano.”
The conflict dates back to when the Italian-backed Consorzio del Formaggio Parmigiano Reggiano registered a geographical indication (GI) in Singapore in 2019 for cheese produced in a specific area of the Italian province of Bologna. At that time, Fonterra filed an application to clarify that “Parmesan” should not be considered a translation of “Parmigiano Reggiano.”
Fonterra argued that while Parmigiano Reggiano originates from that region, Parmesan can be produced anywhere and differs in aspects such as milk content, regulations, flavour, colour, and texture.
Singapore’s Registrar of Geographical Indications initially supported Fonterra’s application. However, the Consorzio opposed this decision.
Subsequently, both the Principal Assistant Registrar and the High Court ruled in favour of the Consorzio, determining that Parmesan is indeed a translation of Parmigiano Reggiano.
The case escalated to Singapore’s Court of Appeal, where the Consorzio presented dictionary definitions to argue that “Parmesan” is a translation of “Parmigiano Reggiano” in both English and French.
However, on Friday, the court concluded that Parmesan is not a translation of Parmigiano Reggiano.
Senior Judge Judith Prakash noted that within the rich tapestry of Singapore’s culinary landscape, cheese occupies a prominent role, serving not only as a delightful food item enjoyed on its own but also as a crucial ingredient in many staple dishes of the Singaporean diet.
Geographical indications protect the interests of consumers in Singapore by ensuring that food products genuinely possess the characteristics associated with their geographical origins.
Prakash agreed with Fonterra that in Singapore, people commonly refer to a type of cheese that is hard, dry, easy to grate, and has a sharp, slightly sweet, salty taste as “Parmesan.” She also pointed out that Singaporeans generally do not think of this Parmesan cheese as being exclusively linked to “Parmigiano Reggiano.”
According to Prakash, although English dictionaries serve as a useful starting point for determining the ordinary meaning of words, “it must be borne in mind that words do not exist in a vacuum, and how a particular word is used and the meaning or meanings which it bears over time may vary depending on the particular context and local conditions in which the word is used.”
This means that dictionaries may not accurately capture how certain words are used by the local population in Singapore.
Consorzio was ordered to pay S$100,000 (approximately $126,996) in costs to Fonterra.