Trademark dispute: The term "raclette" is not protected

The term "raclette" is not protected. It may continue to be used outside of Valais. This was the decision of the Appeals Commission of the Federal Department of Economic Affairs (REKO EVD) on June 27, 2006. The REKO justified its decision by stating that "Raclette" is not a traditional name for a Valais raclette cheese. The Federal Office for Agriculture (FOAG) decided in November 2003 that cheese may only be called "Raclette" if it comes from the Valais. As a result, many objectors lodged a complaint with the REKO. This instructed the FOAG to delete the sentence "The name Raclette is protected" from the specifications. The use of the term "Valais Raclette" or "Raclette du Valais" is not affected by this decision. The Raclette-Suisse association, which brings together producers of raclette cheese from all over Switzerland, was particularly relieved by the decision.