Protecting geographical food and drink names in Northern Ireland

There are schemes, in the UK and EU, for protecting the names of food, drink and agricultural products. To be eligible for protection, a product must have characteristics or reputation derived from its geographical origin - this is known as geographical indication (GI) protection. You can also protect food and drink names of products that are produced using a traditional recipe - this is known as traditional speciality guaranteed (TSG) protection.

UK schemes apply to products sold in Great Britain. European Union (EU) schemes apply to products sold in Northern Ireland and the EU. This has been the case since 1 January 2021. 

All product names protected by EU schemes before 31 December 2020 continue to be protected under the UK and EU schemes.

This guide explains the UK protected food name schemes and EU protected food name schemes. It also advises on how to apply for protecting a geographical food or drink name in Northern Ireland.