Fage has confirmed it is no longer engaged in legal action against Danone over the term ‘Greek yoghurt’, having settled a dispute related to the French yoghurt giant’s Danio range.
Fage took out an injunction against Danone in January 2013, shortly after Danio was launched and in the middle of Fage’s legal battle with Chobani over the right to describe yoghurt made outside of Greece as ‘Greek yoghurt’.
Danone used ‘Greek yoghurt’ as an on-pack descriptor for Danio, which was made in Poland at the time, but the injunction forced it to change its packaging within weeks of launching, removing all references to ‘Greek yoghurt’. Production has since moved to France.
When it launched Danio, Danone told The Grocer it was following the Chobani/Fage case with close interest, and echoed Chobani’s contention that ‘Greek yoghurt’ refers to a style of yoghurt and not to a place of origin. “Greek yoghurt refers to the way in which the product is produced and does not hold a protected designation of origin status,” a spokesman said at the time. ‘Greek yoghurt’ was a descriptor akin to ‘English breakfast tea’ or ‘English muffins’, he added. “We want consumers to be clear on what product experience to expect.”
However, Chobani has since lost its case against Fage at trial and – on Tuesday (28 January) – also lost on appeal, and Danone appears to have given up its ambitions to call Danio ‘Greek’.
Asked about the status of its legal action against Danone, Fage said today the matter had been “settled to the parties’ mutual satisfaction”. It did not comment further.
Danone did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Danio yoghurts are now described by Danone as “super thick,” “strained” and “high in protein”.
Read this: Chobani v Fage: What do the lawyers say on the Greek yoghurt war?
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