Period of the industrial cheese makers, 1900-1950. Until the end of the XIXth century, the technique for producing cheese remained empirical. After 1870, manufacturing became more industrial. During this period the great cheesemakers brands appeared in Normandy. - 1909 - Creation of the Producers' Union ("Syndicat des fabricants du Véritable Camembert de Normandie") (SVCN) At the end of the XIXth century Camembert became very popular all over the world. It was found on the markets in France, but also in the Americas, in Africa, in Asia and even in Oceania. It was in fact known over the five continents, but the quality of the cheese produced under this name was sometimes quite varying. In order to find a solution for this quality decrease, the Norman cheesemakers decided to create a Union the aims of which were: - the demand for the creation of a real quality label - the protection of professional interests

The general meeting for the creation of the Union took place on March 20th 1909.
Mr VIGNOBOULE was choosen as president. On July 31st, he gave the following legal definition for Camembert: "Camembert is a round drained soft cheese, neither pressed nor kneaded, lightly salted, with superficial mould. Its maximal weight is 350g for a diameter of 10 to 11cm. The fat content is at least 38% and it is made from pure cow milk and produced in Normandy".

A stamp was created and put on the products of the Union Members whose production conformed to the above quoted legal definition. The Union started several proceedings against producers located outside Normandy, in order to protect the right to use the name "Camembert".

- 1926 - Verdict of the Court of Appeals in Orléans

The Court of Appeals in Orléans stated on January 20th, 1926 that the name "Camembert" had become a public domain, and that it could be used by every producer, regardless of the place of manufacture. They just had the obligation to mention the place of manufacture ( France or foreign country) on the product's package.

- 1946 - Creation of a "quality control" service The production of Union Members is inspected every month. The right for the producer to use the Union stamp depends on the results of the control.

[ home / history / a-o-c / manufacturers / union / news / game / contact ]