According to Mexican chilli producers, the chilli from other countries is entering the European market posing as a Mexican product, as in the case of canned chillies that are typically grown in Mexico, which is why they want Europe to recognize the geographical indication of chillies.
In addition, they want the Mexican origin of the chipotle chilli which is smoked and acquires a sweet taste, to be recognized.
Jonas Murillo, the head of the Chamber of the Food Preserves Industry (CANAINCA), said that "a lot of Turkish and Asian chilli, which has a much lower quality than the Mexican chilli, is coming into Europe and it is taking advantage of the importance that the Mexican product has."
For example, he said, there's a chilli from Turkey that doesn't state its country of origin but has a jalapeño and a Mexican hat on its label. "They are not saying it's from Mexico, but they are using the prestige that Mexico has."
If they obtain the recognition of the geographical indication, only Mexican chillis could be called jalapeño or chipotle and the product that isn't Mexican will have to be called differently, he said.
According to Murillo, the defence is based on these two types of chilli peppers because they are the ones that have the greatest impact on sales. The chilli industry makes more than 7 billion pesos per year from the sale of preserved chillies, most of which is from the sale of jalapeño and chipotle chillies.
Source: AFP