Cypriot cheeses

Cyprus' iconic halloumi cheese remains a protected designation of origin (PDO) product after the European Union granted a crucial five-year grace period to comply with production specifications.

The decision, published in a new European regulation, provides Cypriot producers with breathing room until 2029 to adjust their practices to meet PDO requirements.

On a cold winter evening in a car park in the Cypriot capital Nicosia, queues are already forming before former airline pilot Pantelis Panteli arrives in a small van to sell his produce.

After being made redundant following the closure of Cyprus Airways in 2013, Panteli decided to try his hand at cheese-making. He hasn't looked back.

A top court in the European Union on Wednesday rejected an attempt to drop the protected status of halloumi, staving off a challenge to the prized cheese that is one of Cyprus' top exports.

The Cyprus Cheesemakers Association has made a unanimous decision to shutter all cheese dairies starting January 10, 2024, following a protracted disagreement with government authorities over regulatory changes.

Halitzi, the traditional white cheese from the Cypriot region of Tylliria, has been officially recognized with protected geographical indication (PGI) status, according to an announcement shared on social media by the European Commission in Cyprus last week.