The route from Viogal to La Farm and the much acclaimed case of feta

By George Lampiris

In the case of La Farm, the dairy interests of the Plexida family, we may have to go back in time. So much so that we connect today with yesterday, recording the developments associated with the feta front. A few years ago, La Farm, maintaining a different corporate form and the name Plexidas Ath. And Sons OE. – Biogal had again occupied the ranks of the Ministry of Rural Development and Food and the then Minister, Katerina Batzeli. In fact, the minister had imposed a fine on this company, twelve years ago, for violations related to the production of feta. In June 2017, Vigal was absorbed by La Farm, now a thing of the past in the general commercial register of companies.

EFET reports since 2007

Characteristic at that time were the reports of EFET – in the year 2007 -, based on which “in the PDO Biogal feta, in tins of 15 kg, its fat substance had been partially replaced with a substance foreign to the fat of milk”.

In another report – in the same announcement – also in 2007 EFET noted that “Viogal white sheep cheese made with the label” PDO Galaxy slice in the Greek supermarket “, was found to be adulterated because it was made from cow’s milk and not from sheep’s mixture – “In fact, EFET also mentioned in another case that” Biogal mizythra whey cheese was found to be abnormal because its fat had been partially replaced with a substance foreign to the milk fat “.

In 2010, the Minister of Rural Development, Katerina Batzeli, signed a decision to impose a fine of 510,000 euros against Biogal after a relevant suggestion of EFET, to Biogal Ath. Plexidas and Sons of OE.

The fine of 510,000 was distributed as follows:
-400,000 euros for fraud, misleading the consumer and disposal of abnormal and unsafe food
-40,000 euros for lack of operating license
-40,000 euros for non-compliance with the traceability system
-30,000 euros for Manufacture and marketing of non-dairy products in a dairy production facility.

The final revocation of PDO feta certification in 2021

Coming to today, last Friday ELGO Dimitra decided the final revocation and removal of the PDO feta production certification for La Plexida family’s La Farm. After checking a sample of La Farm’s 400 gram private label feta that was sent to the General State Chemist, it was found that it contained exclusively cow’s milk and in no case sheep and goat as it should be.

Series of movements in the field of feta

This was not the first move in the field of feta related to incidents of fraud and the imposition of fines by the relevant services of the Ministry of Rural Development. We remind you that the first big case for this year in the dairy industry that occupied the market and the competent departments of the Ministry of Rural Development, was that of another company from Trikala, Homer, with a fine of 260,000 euros last June for smuggling feta abroad. which was “out of production specifications”, as the ministry said in a statement at the time.

This was followed by a series of cases of small and medium enterprises in the cheese industry, with La Farm also being put under the microscope and initially being temporarily revoked of its certification last September. In fact, the company had filed an application for precautionary measures in this case, for which the court’s response a few days ago was in its favor. However, the decision for final revocation that became known on Friday night, came to suspend the positive opinion of the Court of Appeals on the precautionary measures of the previous suspension, with the company preparing for new legal actions in order to defend its interests. .

La Farm: Spikes on the occasion of the decision of the Court of Appeal for the precautionary measures

For the fact that the company had filed an application for precautionary measures, in an announcement notified to us by La Farm it is stated that “the company had appealed to the Greek Justice, and” issued on 11.11.2021 “a temporary injunction to suspend its execution under number 46178/2021 of the decision of the Managing Director of the organization ELGO Dimitra, for the temporary revocation of the previous certification “. In the same announcement La Farm leaves tips for the manipulations of the competent bodies, saying that” the decision of the Athens Administrative Court (ELGO Dimitra) and at the ministry “, pointing out that La Farm considered that this decision would be respected, to conclude by saying that” however, the latest developments denied us and at the same time confirmed what we had smelled, that something else was happening “.

It should be noted, however, that countries such as Denmark and Germany, seek to declassify feta as PDO, on the occasion of the latest incidents that in one way or another provide the basis to overturn in European courts the designation PDO, a fact which will pave the way for the sale of white cheese called feta in various European markets and beyond.

If we look at La Farm finances for 2020, its turnover was 61.43 million euros from 53.99 million in 2019 and its net profit after taxes 663.47 thousand euros from 971.5 thousand euros in 2019

Vitalis: Sadness for those who tarnish the industry, optimism that the state is working towards consolidation

The president of the Feta Interprofessional Organization, Ioannis Vitalis, also spoke on the issue.

As Mr. Vitalis states: “Every case that comes to the surface regarding feta, the product” White Gold “for our national economy, and shows us the incorrect application of the terms of PDO products by some – fortunately not the majority – feeds us with ambiguous emotions.

On the one hand sadness for professionals who tarnish an entire industry only for profit, but on the other optimism that the state has begun to work in the direction of consolidation and now by its actions exemplifies so that it does not even go beyond industrial minds to falsify our valuable product, the international markets to trust us, our livestock to flourish, young people to invest in it and the consumer to feel safe ”.