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Some of our favourite food and drink products could be forced to re-brand under strict changes put forward by the European Union under a proposed free trade deal with Australia.
Among the foods targeted would be several varieties of cheese, including; Feta, Gruyere, Mancheno and Gorgonzola, all of which might appear on supermarket shelves with another name.
Read more: Mudgee's favourite cheese wins gold award
Trade Minister Simon Birmingham has vowed to drive a "very hard bargain" with the EU, which is pursuing the product name issue in its negotiations with the federal government.
Mudgee's High Valley Cheese Co., located on Ulan Road sell and distribute plain and marinated 'fetta' cheese products which they produce at a factory located on-site. This product could be a victim of the new regulations and the company could be forced to re-brand.
It's not going to fundamentally change what we're doing, we might just have to print some new labels.
- Cheese maker, Shaun Barry
Cheesemaker at High Valley Cheese Co., Shaun Barry said the that even if a name change becomes a requirement, he doesn't think it will affect the Mudgee business much.
"There's a bit of apathy on my part. I don't follow the minute details of these things. I read the article when I was eating my porridge," Mr Barry said.
"Personally, it's not something I'm stressed about. In some ways I agree with regionality and origin I think if the shoe was on the other foot we'd kind of be making a bit of noise.
"Personally I'm more of a pragmatist, I'll just let them do all the work around that. I won't get too upset."
Mr Barry noted that 'Danish Feta' is a product of a similar agreement regarding country of origin and thinks it could end up be a positive for locally-produced products.
"Everyone is looking for regionality these days. We try to do everything regionally, Mr Barry said.
"We use Little Big Dairy for our milk from Dubbo. We've got Cudgegong Valley Olive Oil in our marinades. The canola oil we use is sourced from the Orange region. People love Mudgee as a destination and it's all about that nose-to-tail and that regionality.
"It's not going to fundamentally change what we're doing, we might just have to print some new labels. Our marketing pitch won't change. It'll just be another little challenge."
'Persian-style Australian Feta' anyone?
