Staffordshire Cheese has become the latest UK product to be awarded Protected Designation of Origin status by the European Union.

The Staffordshire Cheese name will now be protected under European law through its link to a specific geographical area and its traditional recipe. Some 36 UK products, including 15 cheeses, have PDO status.

“Staffordshire Cheese is unique and has a strong identity based on its taste and texture due to the distinctive nature of the cows diet, the mixture of starter cultures and the size of the cloth bound cheese,” said John Knox from the Staffordshire Cheese Company. “I would encourage more producers to apply to the scheme.”