France destroys 35,000 'champagne' soda bottles

French border police have destroyed nearly 35,000 bottles of a soda drink that called itself champagne. Customs officials in the northern port of Le Havre said the bottles originated from Haiti, and contained a ''bright orange liquid''. They were seized in October 2021 after customs noticed their label ''Couronne Fruit Champagne''.

The name is designated under France's Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée （AOC） system, which is supposed to give them exclusive use of the word in countries that follow EU laws on distinctive geographical indications.

There are currently more than 121 countries that follow the ruling on the use of the name, according to the Champagne trade association. Greek Feta, Italian Parmesan and British Stilton blue cheese are also protected by such rules.