Agricultural products from the European Union (EU) are more than just food and drinks, they are stories shared, heritage passed on through generations. They are collections of flavors, bursting with character that is traceable through history that echoes the origins. Check out the Try it Yourself section below to see where you can sample these products IRL!
The More than European Food and Drinks, Savoring Stories campaign is a journey crafted to help you explore the diverse and rich nature of ingredients and agricultural products from the EU. Its immense variety is based on the diverse agricultural landscape of the EU’s 27 Member States. All EU Member States share common food and farming standards—reinforced by robust and uniform food safety regulations—guaranteeing authentic, high-quality, sustainable, and safe products all over the world.
Authenticity:
Centuries of tradition and expertise, handed down from generation to generation, give European food its distinct and authentic flavor, which can be traced back to the wide variety of soils, climates, and cultures in Europe. Everyday products are tied to these origins and cannot be reproduced elsewhere. The EU created several schemes (see below for more info) to protect the names of specific products and to promote their unique features, as well as ensure traditional proficiency involved in manufacturing.
Quality:
European food and drinks are synonymous with exceptional quality, applied at every step of the production process. Skilled European farmers and makers blend age-old wisdom with modern methods to craft top-notch food and drinks. Rigorous quality checks follow every step, from seed to sip, from farm to fork, ensuring transparency and taste in every bite. And the EU Quality Labels (PDO, PGI, and Organic) signify a commitment that surpasses these standards.
Safety:
In Europe, there are strict health and safety standards in place throughout the supply chain, from field to consumer, surveying everything from pesticides to packaging, disease prevention, and hygiene measures. Labels clearly indicate the contents of food and drinks, so you can trust and enjoy European foodstuffs without any surprises. This transparency aids in building trust, that each product is more than food.
Sustainability:
The EU Farm to Fork strategy aims to make food systems fair, healthy, and environmentally friendly. Sustainably produced EU products are the output of sustainable farming practices and leading innovations in agriculture and food science. They help preserve their ecosystems and thus are a step forward in ensuring the planet’s universal health. This strategy contains several key objectives such as reducing fertilizer and converting 25% of EU farmland to organic farming by 2030. To meet these goals, the European Union supports research and innovation to modernize agriculture through fostering and sharing knowledge with digitalization and new technologies.
EU Quality Schemes
The EU uses quality schemes to protect products from imitation and help consumers by giving them information concerning the specific character of the products. Recognized as intellectual property, geographical indications play an increasingly important role in commercial relations between the EU and other countries.
Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) —
Product names registered as PDO are those that have the strongest links to the place in which they are made. Every part of the production, processing, and preparation process must take place in the specific region. For example, in order for cheese to be labeled Parmigiano Reggiano PDO, the milk and the cheese must be produced in in Italy in the defined geographical area, and be produced in compliance with strict standards.
Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) — PGI emphasizes the relationship between the specific geographic region and the name of the product, where a particular quality, reputation or other characteristic is essentially attributable to its geographical origin. For PGI products, at least one of the stages of production, processing or preparation takes place in the region. In the case of wine, this means that at least 85% of the grapes used have to come exclusively from the geographical area where the wine is actually made.
EU Organic Label — The EU organic logo can only be used on products that have fulfilled strict conditions on how they must be produced, processed, transported and stored. Products carrying the EU organic logo contain at least 95% of organic ingredients and additionally respect further strict conditions for the remaining 5%.
Learn More
We have created a zine in collaboration with the European Union to act as your guide to uncovering the stories and traditions behind European food and drinks.
Inside you’ll find a culinary roadmap to Europe, tasting notes and pairing ideas for 75 European cheeses, recipes that will teach you how to create iconic dishes, a European wine primer, and dozens of fun facts.
Click the image above to download the zine!
More Than European Food and Drinks
Food and drinks from the European Union (EU) are more than just food and drinks. Each burst of flavor has its own character and behind every ingredient, there is a story. These stories tell of tradition and artisanship going back centuries, making food from the European Union truly unique, with authentic recipes handed down from generation to generation.
