Favorite Foods That Are Protected By Law, No Changing These

The infamous breaded tenderloin sandwich of Indiana is not protected. You go right ahead and bread that tenderloin with panko or whatever bread crumbs you’d like. Fry it in whichever oil you choose. Place the tenderloin on whatever bread strikes your fancy. There are not laws opposing or defending the tenderloin position. However, not all foods are equal in this manner. There are some foods that are protected by law. Is it illegal to change your favorite food? In some cases, yes.

Florida Orange Juice

Not all juices are “Florida” Orange Juice. Thanks to the Florida Department of Citrus for making sure that it really is 100% Floridian orange juice, which can legally only be made from mature Florida oranges grown by licensed citrus dealers.

Jersey Royals

You say potato. I say potato. In 1996 Jersey Royal potatoes were awarded Protected Designation of Origin status and can only be grown, cultivated and harvested on the island of Jersey, where their unmatched flavor is thought to be influenced by the island’s unique soil and locally collected seaweed is often used as a fertilizer.

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Champagne

Champagne can only be produced in Champagne, France, using the méthode champenoise. It means the last stage of fermentation occurs in the bottle.  Californian Champagne is  legal. Even though the US signed the Treaty of Versailles, which included an article protecting French Champagne, it was never ratified by the Senate.

Vidalia Onions

This sweet tasting onions are now protected by both state and federal law. Grown exclusively in the Peach State, the onions are also Georgia’s official state vegetable and trademarked.

Kalamata Olives

To gain Protected Designation of Origin status, these meaty black olives can only be grown in or near Kalamata, a city in the Peloponnese, Greece. in 2018, the morsels were added to the national list of plant varieties of Greece.

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Tequila

Almost all tequila produced in Mexico is distilled in the state of Jalisco. According to legal requirements, this libation has to be made from 51% blue agave with an alcohol content between 31 and 55%, while in America it has to be above 40%.

Port Wine

The laws surrounding this fortified wine are very similar to those governing Champagne. According to PDO guidelines, the European Union Port can only be produced in the Douro Valley in Portugal.

Darjeeling Tea

Darjeeling tea is  grown in 87 gardens in the foothills of the Himalayas, where some of the bushes are more than 150 years-old. According to the Tea Board of India, this tea can’t be grown, harvested or produced anywhere else in the world.

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Kobe Beef

In Japan, Kobe beef is a registered trademark and can be labeled as such only if it meets a series of conditions, including the marbling ratio and gross weight of the animal. While exports of Kobe beef began in 2012, much of the beef sold outside Japan is still mislabeled.

French Cheeses

Beaufort, Brie, Camembert, Roquefort, Reblochon and Comté are just a handful of French cheeses that have been awarded PDO status.

You can read more about different protected foods here.