2008 – Year of Feta

Greece is hoping promotion of its trademark salty cheese will win more international clients.

 Despite winning the exclusive right to call its white cheese feta in 2005, after a long battle within the European Union, Greece has a surprising small share of the international white cheese market, which is dominated by Denmark and Germany. Greeks consume about 100,000 tonnes a year – on salads, cooked in pies or as a snack – and the cheese is also a hit among millions of visiting tourists. Greece only exports 40,000-50,000 tonnes of feta a year compared with a total international white cheese consumption of about 650-700,000 tonnes, the ministry said.