The King of Fruits, and why Protected Geographical Indications matter

Sadly it’ll soon be the end of the Indian mango season. Unfortunately due to lots of factors this year crops and supply were down, making them harder to get hold of than certain illicit substances. Even the FT had an article about finding yourself a Mango dealer…

This is as good a time as any to recap observations on Geographical indication protection.

Geographical Indication Protection?

For those unfamiliar, Gls protect products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or reputation due to that origin. They’re about authenticity, tradition, and terroir, ensuring consumers get the real deal.

The Alphonso mango’s GI status protects this prized variety from specific regions of Maharashtra, recognising its unique sweetness, aroma, and cultural significance. So juicy and fragrant you can see why it’s crowned the King of Fruits. Here IP law preserves not just innovation, but heritage and place.

Closer to home in the UK, we have our own Gl-protected products:

Originating in Cumberland, part of Cumbria, comes the Cumberland sausage, the pork sausage that is very long, up to a whopping 20 inches, and rolled in a circular coil. After a campaign by Cumbrian butchers and meat manufacturers suggesting the sausages should include more than 80% meat content, be coiled, not linked, have a wider diameter than conventional sausages and a rough, chopped or coarse minced texture and, of course, be prepared in Cumbria. PGI status was granted to the name “Traditional Cumberland sausage” in 2011.

To display the PGI mark, the sausage must meet quite stringent criteria, which is an interesting read in itself. However, sausages not meeting the criteria can be sold just as Cumberland sausages, without claiming PGI.

In 2011, a trade organisation of around 50 pasty makers based in Cornwall, the “Cornish Pasty Association”, had the name Cornish Pasty awarded PGI after a 9 year campaign.

The Cornish pasty is a savoury ‘D’ shaped pasty which is filled with beef, vegetables and seasonings. After the mandatory filling ingredients have been added,they’re assembled into a ‘D’ shape and the pastry edges are crimped either by hand or mechanically. The crimped edge sits to one side of the pasty and is distinctive to and different from a simple pinched seal across the top of the pasty. They must be produced in the administrative area of Cornwall.

The Melton Mowbray pork pie was granted PGI in 2007. The specification states “Melton Mowbray Pork Pies have a bow walled pastry case giving them their characteristic bow shape. The pastry is golden brown in colour with a rich texture. The pork filling is uncured and therefore grey in colour — the colour of roast pork. The texture filling is moist and particulate. The meat content of the whole product must be at least 30 %. Between the filling and the pastry wall is a layer of jelly. In flavour, the pastry has a rich, baked taste while the filling is full of meaty flavour and seasoned in particular with pepper. The pies must be free from artificial colours, flavours and preservatives.”

Hungry yet?

Last year an application submitted by The Melton Mowbray Pork Pie Association to amend the product specification of the PGI was rejected as the proposed amendment would reduce the geographical production area and exclude certain producers from using the PGI designation. This would directly affect market access and impose new trade restrictions, which is not permitted under the Regulation.

So as you can see, PGI designations are strictly controlled and can have many caveats to protect the quality of the product and producers. These protections matter; they safeguard local producers, preserve traditional methods, and help consumers trust what they’re buying.

So, treasure your mangoes; who knows if you’ll get your hands on any more this year!

Protecting your origins

Protected Geographical Indications is just one example of the complexities of Intellectual Property rights.

At Asenda Law, our priority is to make the law accessible for our clients. That starts with offering practical advice, so if you’d like to talk about anything from intellectual property to commercial contracts, get in touch.