The release of the Ismea Qualivita Report, the annual research analysis which looks at the Geographical Indications sector, once again ranks Italy in first place as the world's largest Geographical Indication producer. Out of 3,036 total worldwide, Italy leads with 822 PDO, PGI and TSG specialities registered at the European level.

Within Italy, the Emilia Romagna region comes in first place, with 44 Geographical Indication products notching up an overall production value of 2.9 billion Euro. Of these, no less than 19 are protected by European Union PDO – Protected Designation of Origin – status: products whose qualities or characteristics are essentially or exclusively due to a particular geographical environment, including natural and human factors.

The Ismea Qualivita Report crowns Parmigiano Reggiano as Italy's PDO product with the highest production value: 1.34 billion Euro in 2017, up 19.5% on 2016. Second place in the “pdoeconomy” is PDO Grana Padano with a production value of 1.29 billion Euro (+0.0% on 2016) and third place goes to PDO Prosciutto di Parma at 850 million Euro (+4.1% on 2016).

“Parmigiano Reggiano is one of the world's oldest and most famous cheeses, as well as being a product that symbolises Italian produce,” states Nicola Bertinelli, Chairman of the Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium. “For this reason, it is also the most imitated. Basically, it is made just as it always has been for the last nine centuries: the same ingredients are used (milk, salt and rennet), along with the same careful crafting, and a production technique which has changed very little over the centuries. All of which is down to the decision to maintain a production technique which is completely natural and additive-free.”

The 2018 Ismea Qualivita report also crowns Parmigiano Reggiano as the Italian PDO with most followers on social media: 526,664 fans on the Facebook page, 23,745 followers on Twitter and 35,270 on Instagram, for a total of over 585 thousand followers. Second place in the social media league table finds Grana Padano, with just under 500 thousand followers in all.

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About Parmigiano Reggiano

Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, known as the King of Cheeses, is still produced today as it was nine centuries ago. It's the only cheese that has such an extensive maturation which develops its delicious flavour and unique characteristics. 

The use of raw milk and the richness of natural ingredients make this cheese a superior product. A long ageing period is fundamental in building the aromas and texture of Parmigiano Reggiano. Such complexity is achieved in a totally natural way, without any additives, making Parmigiano Reggiano 100% natural, easy to digest and high in calcium. The minimum maturation time is at least 12 months, but only when it reaches approximately 24 months of age, is at its best. Ageing can continue up to 36 months or more, during which time the cheese develops its flavour, texture and digestibility. At the end of the minimum period of ageing, an expert from the Consortium examines each cheese wheel one by one. If a wheel passes inspection and meets the requirements of the P.D.O. (Protected Designation of Origin), it is fire-branded with an oval mark that reads “Parmigiano Reggiano Consorzio Tutela.” On the contrary, the identifying marks and the dotted inscriptions are removed from any cheeses which do not meet the requirements.

Within the European Union, Parmigiano Reggiano is the only hard cheese that can legally be called Parmesan. In many areas outside of Europe, the name has become genericized and is used by a number of hard Italian-style grating cheeses even if Parmesan means “from Parma”. However, Parmigiano Reggiano is “the only Parmesan” as it is made in a restricted geographic area using stringently defined methods and according to P.D.O. regulation.

Parmigiano Reggiano is a P.D.O. product. P.D.O. products are defined and protected by European Union law in order to defend the reputation of regional foods. This mark ensures that Parmigiano Reggiano can only be produced in Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, Bologna to the west of the Reno River and Mantua to the east of the Po River.

Parmigiano Reggiano by the numbers

• 5 litres of milk make 1 kg of cheese
• 24 months is the average ageing of the wheels, with 12 months being the minimum
• 5 kg is the weight of a wheel
• 520 litres of milk to make one wheel
• 2,893 farms supplying milk to dairies
• 335 dairies

For more information, please visit www.parmigianoreggiano.com

Press Info

Mary Jo Spletzer

Communications Director

Brand Dialogue

+44 (0)207 389 9404

m.spletzer@brand-dialogue.co.uk