A Deeside cheesemaker is hoping to secure protected status for Cambus O'May cheese.
Food Secretary Richard Lochhead is supporting the bid for the Aberdeenshire-made cheese to receive special status under EU legislation.
If the application is successful, Cambus O'May would join Orkney Cheddar and Traditional Ayrshire Dunlop Cheese in having its provenance and authenticity guaranteed for consumers.
Made to a family recipe, the unpasteurised cheese is hand-pressed using two different curds and has a creamy texture.
The campaign for Protected Food Name (PFN) status was launched at the Aboyne Games on Royal Deeside.
Alex Reid, from the Cambus O'May Cheese Company, said: "Achieving PFN status will not only put our company firmly on the world cheese map, but also the north east of Scotland.
"As a boy our raw milk, two-day curd cheese was an important part of our healthy, additive-free diet, as with most farms in the area.
"The cheese was lost for a generation in the 1960s but PFN status would more than herald its successful return."
Mr Lochhead said: "Scotland is world-famous for our wonderful food and drink, and people want to know they are buying the real deal.
"Achieving PFN status for Cambus O'May cheese will ensure that consumers at home and abroad have a 100% guarantee of the product's authenticity."
