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Like fine wines French cheeses have an 'Appelation d'Origine Controlee'. This label is given by a government body which controls the standard and production of French cheese.
The appellation d’origine contrôlée, or AOC, applies to wines, dairy and farmhouse products. It guarantees that a product of quality has been produced within a specified region following established methods of production.
The AOC is regulated by laws, the first of which was the law for the protection of the place of the origin of 6 May, 1919. This law specified the place and the origin of a product, including province, region and commune. Since then, there have been numerous revisions, until the present day, when the (INAO) Institute National Apppelation d’Origine was put in control. This branch of ministry of agriculture represents the triangle of manufacturers, consumers, and the government.
The INAO has established precise definitions for the cheeses themselves such as their milk, regions, methods of production, and the length of refining. Any violation is liable to persecution, and penalties. There are 40 AOC cheeses in France.