Belgian authorities have destroyed a shipment of Miller High Life beer from the United States due to a labeling issue. The beer was labeled as "The Champagne of Beers", which is a trademarked slogan of the MillerCoors brewery. However, the Comité Champagne, a trade association for the Champagne industry, argued that the label infringed on the protected designation of "Champagne", which is a sparkling wine made in the Champagne region of France using specific grapes and production methods.
The beers were destined for Germany but were intercepted at the port of Antwerp in February. On April 17, the 2,352 cans of beer were crushed "with the greatest respect for environmental concerns by ensuring that the entire batch, content and container, is recycled in an eco-responsible way," according to the Comité Champagne.
The move was the result of a successful collaboration between Belgian customs authorities and the services of the Champagne Committee, who requested the destruction of the American beers. The Comité Champagne argues that the term "Champagne" should only be used on bottles of sparkling wine made using a traditional method in Champagne, France.
The Miller High Life beer was launched in 1903 and began to use the slogan "The Champagne of Bottle Beer" three years later, shortening it to "The Champagne of Beers" in 1969. The trade association for the Champagne industry argues that the use of the term on beer labels is a violation of the protected designation of "Champagne".
Kristian Vanderwaeren, general administrator of the Belgian General Administration for Customs and Excise, stated that they carry out thousands of checks on designations of controlled origin each year. If a counterfeit is proven, as is the case here, they consult each other on the decision to destroy these goods and on the way in which they have them destroyed.
The move confirms the importance that the European Union attaches to designations of origin, said Charles Goemaere, managing director of the Comité Champagne. It also rewards the determination of the inhabitants of Champagne to protect their designation.