Implications of legal protection and quality management of the traditional regional food heritage in the EU: the case of a PDO Oscypek Cheese from Southern Poland

Food safety and quality in the EU has been a widely discussed topic since the creation of the European Single Market. The way of food from the production place to the plates of consumers became increasingly longer and complicated, providing more chances of food contamination by hazardous substances and bacteria. This poses a potential threat to peoples’ health and appropriate legal measures needed to be taken in order to protect both health and other interests of consumers. Currently, locally produced food from locally-grown products is believed to be a healthier and safer alternative to the massproduced food goods. This idea, together with the growing interest in food and nutrition studies, regional cultures, local folklore, as well as dynamic development of gastronomic tourism, gave rise to the popularity of traditional regional foods as authentic, safe, natural, and high quality expressions of regional gastronomic heritage. Within this framework, the research investigates in what ways EU legal food safety and quality regulations may impact the safeguarding of gastronomic heritage of the European regions. Through an interdisciplinary analysis, it analyzes what are the potential interferences between the EU Food Safety regulations, the EU Quality Schemes for Agricultural Products (particularly considering the Protected Designation of Origin), and UNESCO frameworks for tangible and intangible heritage. The main question to answer is if a GI may conflict with food heritage protection, in what ways it impacts the producers and the protected product itself, and if this is what is currently happening in case of a PDO oscypek cheese from Southern Poland. Through qualitative in-depth interviews with oscypek producers and relevant authorities on local, regional and national levels, this analysis provides an overview of dynamics within highlander community and attitudes toward the impact of a GI status on future of this touristic product and intangible practice. The research is concluded with recommendations for future development for production, management and promotion of this culturally significant food heritage and tradition.