they're putting micrulechips in the cheese

Big same lol. If it's tasty, has roughly the right texture and won't get me sick beyond an acceptable level of cheese-induced gastrointestinal distress, I don't give a fuck if it's from Lombardy or London 😂

It's seen as protecting their cultural heritage, which is something they're really obsessed with. To the extent, for example, that Sardinia has tried to have casu marzu protected as a Traditional Food even though it's banned by both Italy and the EU.

I eat a lot of Parmesan so it does actually hit different lmao

The European food market rose in the middle ages before we fully understood fermentation processes, so locations and guilds were associated with quality. The food market of the Americas came later, and we learned early on making the good stuff wasn't about location but the right cultures and the right conditions.

So California wines are named after the grapes while French wines are named after the location. But if your counterfeit cheese is as good as or better then the official stuff, there should be an easy way to market it.