Food, drink and agricultural products with a geographical connection or that are made using traditional methods can be registered and protected as intellectual property. This protection is called a geographical indication (GI).
GI protection ensures a product's unique qualities, reputation, authenticity, and origin, safeguarding the name from misuse or imitation. It can also be a great tool for highlighting the special attributes of your product to your customers:
- in the UK, GI schemes protect registered product names when sold in Great Britain (England, Scotland, and Wales)
- in the EU, GI schemes protect registered product names when sold in Northern Ireland and the EU
Three designations of protection for Protected Food Name products
Protected designation of origin (PDO)
To get a PDO for your product you must produce, process and prepare it in the geographical area you identify in your application. You must use local knowledge and, where relevant, traditional skills to produce it.
A product with a PDO is recognised for its qualities and characteristics that are exclusively a result of the geographical area it comes from. Examples include Cornish clotted cream and Orkney beef.
Protected geographical indication (PGI)
To get a PGI for your product, you must carry out at least one important stage of preparation in the geographical area you identify in your application. That’s either production, processing or preparing the product.
A product with a PGI is recognised for its reputation, qualities or characteristics attributed to the local area, such as Dorset Blue Cheese, Welsh lamb or Armagh Bramley apples.
Traditional speciality guaranteed (TSG)
To get a TSG for your product, you must:
- have a traditional name that’s been in use for 30 years or more
- produce it using traditional methods or a traditional recipe
A product with TSG protection does not need to be produced in a specific geographical area. Examples include:
- watercress
- traditionally farmed Gloucestershire Old Spots pork
- traditional farm-fresh turkey
How to apply
You can find out more about the application process plus benefits of protection at: Protected geographical food and drink names: UK GI schemes - GOV.UK.
Using a UK GI scheme registered product name
Once an application has been approved the protected name can only be used if:
- the food or drink subject to the protection is made in accordance with the published product specification that is submitted during the application process
- the producer has been verified to make and sell the registered product
- the producer uses the appropriate GI product name and logo correctly
Product verification
Before you can sell your product using the GI name, you must get it verified by a nominated control body who will audit your product and production methods to check they meet the requirements set out in the product specification.
Dorset council trading standards can act as a control body and offers a product verification auditing service. We can also advise on the requirements of the protected food names scheme and help you to produce a product specification.
Product verification audits are completed by our Senior Trading Standards Officers who also have responsibility for enforcing the regulations that govern the use of protected food names. Officers carrying out this work are fully qualified and are assessed for competency on an annual basis in accordance with the Food Standards Agency Competency Framework for local authority officers undertaking official food controls.
Product verification is required periodically and must take place every 1 to 3 years, with the frequency dependent on the type of product being made and the methods being used to make it.
We currently charge £86 per hour for a verification audit which includes:
- audit preparation
- audit at production facilities
- audit report and follow up
- corrective action follow up
- certificate issue
The total time required for an audit is dependent on a variety of factors including the complexity of the product being made and the number of facilities that need to be visited.
For an informal discussion or to discuss your individual requirements please contact us.