What Is AOC?

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AOC stands for Appellation d’origine contrôlée, a controlled term of origin for French agricultural products such as wines, liqueurs, spirits, cheeses and butters. Roquefort became the first AOC-labeled cheese in 1925.

AOC standards stipulate that products must come from designated geographical regions and adhere to traditional methods of production. Nevertheless, it’s not a perfect system: the laws that regulate labeling are confusing and quality controls are not rigorous, making the AOC label an unreliable indicator for the consumer.

Other countries have adopted similar labels, and the French AOC system is said to have influenced the European Union’s protected designation of origin (PDO) category.

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Sarah
Sarah is known for her extra fancy yeast breads, melt in your mouth pies, and everything salads. She has won awards as a home cook, and is passionate about helping others feel smarter in the kitchen. Sarah is the cooking genius of the sister duo.

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