Darjeeling tea region granted EU geographical protection
India's tea region of Darjeeling has been granted the coveted Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) by the European Union. Protected Geographical Status is a law that protects the names of regional foods and eliminates unfair competition or misleading of consumers by non-genuine products. The status implies that tea produced only in the Darjeeling region can be sold as Darjeeling Tea in the European Union countries. The seal will also apply to blends of Darjeeling and non-Darjeeling tea for a transitional period of five years. Darjeeling tea is the first Indian commodity to achieve this feat and only the seventh non-EU product receiving the protected status, following one from Colombia and five from China.