Protected Designation of Origin (PDO)

Protected designation of origin (PDO) products describe foods that are partially or wholly produced in a specific geographic area and whose producers have a limited legal right (usually granted by national governments) to a specific name or denomination. Food products whose names are related to the place of origin of their ingredients or their actual geographic location of production are referred to by a variety of different acronyms. These include AO (appellations of origin), GI (geographical indications), and AIO (appellation and indications of origin). In addition, many countries have their own acronyms for the overall system (e.g., PDO in French is AOC, appellation d’origine contrôlée), and then a number of other acronyms for the various levels of the system. In Italy, for example, the highest ...