The debate over just whose soft, salty Camembert is the true Normandy cheese may be headed for the courts.
Small producers from the northwestern French region say industrialists are capitalizing on the artisan makers' prized "Camembert of Normandy" label by using the similar "Camembert made in Normandy" phrase to designate their version of the round cow's milk cheese.
While any cheesemaker around the world can print the word "Camembert" on their label, the "Camembert of Normandy" term is a form of European certification, or appellation d'origine protégée (AOP), reserved since 1983 for the few who follow traditional methods.
Purists use raw milk from Normandy cows and hand-ladle the cheese into molds. Industrialists are more likely to pasteurize their milk – or heat it to kill bacteria and render the curd easier to process – and procure their milk from all over, allowing for a lower-priced product.
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