Ayrshire Potatoes Come Under EU Protection Rules

Scotland’s Ayrshire new potatoes have been granted EU protection against unauthorized imitation, reports The Scotman.

The potatoes, which are also known as Ayrshire Earlies, join an extensive list of Scottish food products including Scottish salmon that also have the protected geographic indication (PGI) status. The current system of EU PGI ensures only products from a particular region can be badged as such and prevents them from being imitated by others.

According to Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop who was cited by the report this is great news for Ayrshire potato growers, particularly given the current uncertainty for the industry caused by Brexit.

Ayrshire potatoes are a product that is 120 years old, so growers of this variety in the region were pleased to have achieved PGI status. According to Andrew Young of Girvan Early Growers the certification will help to secure the future of potato growing in Ayrshire by assuring customers they are buying a genuine article with provenance, quality and flavor.