That afternoon, the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI) granted protection as a Geographical Indication to the cajeta from Sayula.
In addition to promoting the identity value of the cajeta from Sayula, the protection by Geographical Indication regulates and protects the process of making this product, thereby avoiding unfair competition and piracy.
In the symbolic delivery of this declaration by the IMPI, to the state authorities and to the producers of the traditional sweet typical of Jalisco, the relevance of this recognition was highlighted.
The head of the Secretariat of Agriculture and Rural Development (Sader Jalisco), Ana Lucía Camacho Sevilla, highlighted the importance of this recognition, which highlights an artisanal work that has transcended five generations, and that takes advantage of the products of the municipality, giving them added value to develop this dessert.
“The cajeta from Sayula represents an entire community and is part of a legacy that we must protect and promote. The geographical indication is also a well-deserved recognition of our producers, of the work of artisan cajeteros, who with their expertise and technique achieve a perfect development in the production of this traditional sweet, from the incorporation of ingredients to cooking and its characteristic way of packaging,” he warned in a statement.
He added that the distinction also provides the certainty that only the cajeta made in Sayula, under specific conditions, can be marketed as “Cajeta de Sayula”, which guarantees the authenticity, quality and safety of the product.
For his part, the director of the Agency for Health, Safety and Food Quality (ASICA Jalisco), Eduardo Ramírez Orona, recalled that between 2022 and 2023 the first steps began to recognize this product: “On this day of celebration we reaffirm our continued commitment to strengthen and promote the agri-food heritage of Jalisco, ensuring that products such as Cajeta de Sayula continue to inspire pride and admiration.”
The IMPI divisional deputy director, Sergio Villegas Orante, referred to the importance of this recognition to safeguard products for use, decoration and consumption from various regions of the country, and highlighted the work done by state and municipal authorities in coordination with producers to include the Sayula cajeta on the protection list.
This protection figure recognizes the step-by-step process to develop a product and give it permanence in its place of origin, but also makes visible the work of producers and artisans who, in this case, make the small wooden boxes in which the Sayula cajeta is packaged and sold.
On behalf of the cajeta guild of the southern municipality, Claudia Lugo López, expressed her gratitude to ASICA Jalisco for the support she had with the producers to achieve this important recognition of their work. As part of the state authorities at the award ceremony, Xavier Orendáin De Obeso, General Strategic Coordinator of Economic Growth and Development of the Government of Jalisco, was also present.
This establishes that there is only one cajeta from Sayula, and if someone wants to label their product with this name, they must request authorization for use from the IMPI and demonstrate compliance with the specifications for their production.
Source: informador
