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Italian minister Patuanelli vows to defend Balsamic vinegar

(ANSA) - ROME, 25 FEB - Agriculture Minister Stefano Patuanelli said Thursday that the government will take action to defend Balsamic vinegar of Modena from attempts by the Slovenia authorities to get around the system that protects its authenticity. The consortium of producers of Balsamic vinegar of Modena has sounded that alarm after the Slovenian government notified the European Commission of a national law which aims to transform the denomination "balsamic vinegar" into a product standard. This consortium says this conflicts with EU law and undermines the PDO and PGI labelling system protecting the authenticity of foods produced in a specific geographical area. "The protection of Italian wine and gastronomy is one of the government's priorities," said Patuanelli. "So, we will do everything possible to defend Balsamic vinegar of Modena from these illicit attacks". (ANSA).