Melton Mowbray Pork Pie Association airs ‘Brexit’ IP concerns

The organisation that protects the UK’s Melton Mowbray pork pies has said leaving the EU would cause concern and create uncertainty, but has stopped short of backing either side of the debate.

With the referendum on membership just days away, WIPR has been contacting food and drink producers that have been granted intellectual property protection through the union’s Protected Food Names (PFN) scheme.

The Melton Mowbray pork pie, a snack from the Leicestershire village of Melton Mowbray, was granted protected geographical indication (PGI) status in 2009, meaning that throughout the EU only products that are made with the approved recipe and in the designated area can be marketed under the relevant term.

Matthew O’Callaghan, chair of the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie Association, which was in charge of securing PGI status, said: “We’ve not discussed a position either way on the issue. However, I am sure most members would be concerned about any potential loss of protection on a withdrawal from the EU and the uncertainty that this would create.”

He added that the EU scheme does allow non-EU countries to register their products for PFN protection within the EU.

“If the UK left the EU then our PFNs would still be protected within the remaining EU, so Melton Mowbray pork pies and Stilton cheese [another PGI-protected product] would still be protected against copying.”

But he added that following a ‘Brexit’, the association’s PFNs would lose their protection within the UK.

“So anyone, anywhere could make a Melton Mowbray pork pie and sell it as such. The UK government would have to bring in legislation to implement an EU style scheme within the UK.

“Governments of all political parties have backed the PFN scheme so, though uncertain, it is likely that a UK government would adopt new laws to protect UK PFNs.”

Yesterday, WIPR reported that the Cornish Pasty Association and the Scotch Whisky Association were backing the remain camp.