Italian food sales are skyrocketing and Italian Pdo cheese is in pole position. Over the last four years, Gorgonzola has been in the top three positions for the most exported Pdo cheese (from cow’s milk). The export figures are indeed very satisfying: Clal data, updated in September 2015, shows a 12.21% increase (compared to 2014) in global exports, for a total of 13,464 tonnes.
USA, A KEY MARKET FOR ITALIAN CHEESE EXPORTS – In particular, the American market plays a key role in the export of Italian wine and food products, especially if we consider that in the first eight months of 2015, exports to the U.S. grew by 23.6%, for a value of 2.34 billion euro (Federalimentare data): 179 million euro of such growth comes from Italian Pdo cheese, which has become the third most popular product in the U.S. after wine and oil, and before pasta.
GORGONZOLA TO LAUNCH NEW COMMUNICATION CAMPAIGNS – With these good auspices, the Consortium for the protection of Gorgonzola Cheese launched an enhancement campaign (starting next year) in the American and Northern European markets. These are communication campaigns that aim to strengthen the role of Pdo Gorgonzola abroad via the internet and social networks, which are often used by consumers who wish to learn more about the most recent news and recipes. The presence of the Consortium for the protection of Gorgonzola Cheese with its channels becomes crucial to spread the product’s culture together with correct information about its origins, history, production methods, Pdo characteristics, controlled supply chain concepts, area of origin, and branding, which is often ignored by American consumers and constitutes a true advantage for an effective fight against Italian sounding products.