Recognising a Marseille soap

Anxious to protect traditional Marseille soap, four historic soap factories in the Bouches-du-Rhône, including the Savonnerie du Midi, decided to join forces in 2011 to create the Union des Professionnels du Savon de Marseille (UPSM).

These have signed a quality charter guaranteeing the composition of traditional Marseille soap, its manufacturing process and its geographical origin. La Corvette products scrupulously respect the specifications of this charter and display the registered collective mark.

The products benefiting from this collective mark correspond to traditional Marseille soap, as defined by the Union des Professionnels du Savon de Marseille.

Currently unprotected, the name "Marseille soap" can be used on any type of soap, regardless of its geographical origin, method of manufacture or composition.

It is in this context that the UPSM, the Union des Professionnels du Savon de Marseille, decided in December 2015 to submit a file to the INPI (Institut National de la Propriété Industrielle), in accordance with the procedure provided for by law, so that Savon de Marseille could be protected by an IGPIA (Indication Géographique pour les Produits Industriels et Artisanaux). Savon de Marseille was the first industrial and artisanal speciality to apply for this recognition.

Alongside the UPSM, the Savonnerie du Midi is therefore very involved in the defence of the heritage values of Savon de Marseille.