Danone has been forced to pull its new Danio “Greek yoghurt” off supermarket shelves and change the packaging just days after its launch, after a judge slapped an interim injunction on the Polish-made product.
Danio launched on 26 January and the injunction - sought by Total Greek Yoghurt maker Fage - was granted by Mr Justice Floyd on 30 January.
Fage is currently engaged in a legal battle with Chobani over whether yoghurt made outside of Greece should be allowed to be called “Greek yoghurt”.
The injunction means Danone has had to remove all references to “Greek yoghurt” from Danio packaging and any marketing or promotional materials until a final decision in the case, which is due to go to trial on or around 18 February, is made.
Fage is arguing that only yoghurt made in Greece should be allowed to be labelled “Greek yoghurt”.
However, like Chobani, Danone believes “Greek yoghurt” refers to a manufacturing process and a type of thick, strained yoghurt, and not a country of origin.
The company added that it had been very open about the fact that Danio was made in Poland. “We have been explicit from the outset with all our stakeholders and on Danio packaging regarding the manufacturing process and the fact that the product is not manufactured in Greece,” it said.
However, it said it would comply with the interim injunction and change the Danio packaging, adding that it was “in close communication with our customers to make this transition as smooth as possible”.
Chobani agreed to remove the term “Greek yoghurt” from its own packaging back in December, after the court was minded to grant an interim injunction against the company.
Fage did not comment.
