[citation needed] Havarti is made like most cheeses, by introducing rennet to milk to cause curdling.

Havarti is an interior-ripened cheese that is rindless, smooth, and slightly bright-surfaced with a cream to yellow color depending on type.

[11] For one slice weighing 28 g: In October 2019, the EU granted exclusive Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) rights to Denmark after four years of lobbying by the Danish industry.

[1][11][12] There was vehement opposition and pressure from the US against recognition,[13][14] which earlier compelled the EU to postpone the planned PGI status fearing it might be deemed too provocative amidst indications of a political backlash from the United States.

[14][15] The Consortium for Common Food Names (CCFN), an industry alliance based in Virginia, United States, representing exporting interests founded by the U.S.

Dairy Export Council to fight EU geographical indication guidelines[12][16][17] expressed outrage over the 2019 EU decision to reserve the name for Denmark, claiming the PGI status is not "legitimate intellectual property protection, but instead for barely concealed protectionism for economic gain".

The United States, Australia, New Zealand, Uruguay and Argentina have joined with the CCFN to overturn the decision.

[1][11] The CCFN has claimed that havarti is a generic cheese,[10][18] and that the EU is trying to "egregiously ... monopolise global trade" in this and many other traditional European products, and is disregarding "established international standards".