A cheesemaker will today take on Greece and the European Commission in a battle over whether cheese produced in Britain can be called feta.

Yorkshire Feta has been produced by Shepherds Purse Cheese, of Newsham, near Thirsk, North Yorkshire, since 1987 but its future has been in doubt since feta was granted ''protected designation of origin'' (PDO) status in 2002.

The PDO tag means that only Greek producers will be able to use the term ''feta'' from 2007.

Today, the firm hopes to persuade judges at the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg that feta is not a unique product like champagne or Parma ham.

Supporters of Yorkshire Feta argue that the term is the generic name of a southern European cheese, which the Greeks should not be able to use exclusively.

Yorkshire and the Humber Conservative MEP Edward McMillan-Scott said he was angry that the British Government would not have a legal representative at today's hearing to reinforce in person what it has already stated in writing.

Instead, lawyers representing the Danish and German governments will argue the case for cheesemakers across the European Union.

Mr McMillan-Scott said: ''It is extraordinary that the British Government, which spends billions on farm subsidies, will not spend a few hundred pounds on sending a lawyer to defend a small but important producer.''

mfl Judy Bell, founder of Shepherds Purse Cheese, said her company was facing a bill of ''tens of thousands of pounds'' for a new marketing strategy to rename the product.

She said: ''If we lose, we can carry on until 2007, but then we will have to go through a massive re-merchandising process and reorganisation. ''15 per cent of our turnover comes from Yorkshire Feta - that's a significant amount for a business like ours.

''We are a very small company but we are producing, in the summer months, about a tonne of feta a week.

''It will make a big hole in our business plan.''

Ms Bell said there was a high demand for the cheese, which is made from 100% ewe's milk and stocked by stores including Tesco, Sainsbury's and Morrisons.

She said: ''It's very popular. We have never tried to pull the wool over anyone's eyes - it's very clear from the label that it's Yorkshire Feta.''

Ms Bell said if today's hearing went against her company, she would have to remove all references to the word feta from her labels, and would not even be able to spell it differently, for example as pheta or fetta.

She said: ''It beggars belief, I'm afraid.

''I'm convinced we're going to lose. Our Government doesn't fight hard enough for us.''