Greek white gold worth a whopping £840m a year exported around the world

One signature Greek ingredient is fuelling the rise of global food exports, with sales up 700% in the past decade.

No Greek salad is complete without feta cheese, a popular ingredient native to the European country that has seen demand soar over the past decade.

New figures from Enterprise in Greece show feta cheese exports have soared, now accounting for €1bn (£840m) in overseas sales, up from €142m (£118m) in 2014.

The surge in overseas sales has led to the cheese being branded as ’white gold’ - named after Pavlos Satolias, president of the National Union of Agricultural Cooperatives (NUAC).

Satolias compared feta to this product because of its impact on the Greek economy, referring to the sharp increase in exports in recent years as countries around the world have opened their markets to the "queen" of Greek cheeses.

Speaking to the Peloponnesian newspaper, the NUAC president said: "About 65 percent of the country’s annual feta production is currently destined for export."

He adds: "Feta must be an original product. There is only one way to achieve this: a strict legislative framework that will act as a deterrent. No one can play with our country."

Greece produces about 140,000 tons of feta annually, with the UK being a key destination. Its market share is around 14 percent, and exports are growing rapidly.

Despite fluctuations and declines in global exports over the past five years, the "white gold" appears to dominate the market, gaining ground in other countries.

Feta cheese awareness and demand is growing with the ever-growing number of tourists visiting the country. More than 24 million foreign visitors have visited the historic nation this year, with the tourism industry growing by 12.2% year-on-year.

Global merchandise trade has grown by just 2.7% this year, a small percentage compared to Greek food and drink exports, which are growing at a rapid 7%.

The value of Greek food exports has more than doubled in the last decade to over €10 billion (£8 billion), with feta cheese accounting for 10% of that.