According to Nicola Bertinelli, president of the Consortium for the protection of Parmigiano Reggiano PDO, “as far as the ‘king of cheeses’ is concerned, most cases of Italian Sounding consist of the phenomenon of evocation or imitation of its name. Operators from all over the world try in fact to exploit the fame and excellent reputation of our product by recalling, in different ways, its name. Some processed products improperly indicate on the label the presence of Parmigiano Reggiano PDO, in order to gain an undue advantage.”
ITALIAN SOUNDING IN DEPTHS
The economic dimension of the Italian sounding phenomenon is very relevant when it comes to Parmigiano Reggiano. The Consortium estimates that the turnover of the fake Parmigiano, the so-called Parmesan, is equal to 2 billion euros (considering only non-EU countries), for about 200,000 tons of product. This corresponds to 15 times the exported volume of authentic Parmigiano Reggiano PDO.
Look at the gallery below to discover the most infamous products recalling Parmigiano Reggiano
The United States and Canada represent the non-EU countries most affected by Italian Sounding. “American consumers who buy Parmesan cheese are often convinced to buy an authentic Italian product. The Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium strives to ensure that, even outside the European Union, the ‘Parmesan’ name and wording can only be used for the authentic Parmigiano Reggiano PDO. Otherwise it is not only Italian companies that will suffer damage, but all American consumers who are deceived. In fact, they buy and eat a fake in the knowledge that they are buying the real, authentic Parmigiano Reggiano” – Bertinelli says.
SALES OF THE REAL PARMIGIANO REGGIANO PDO KEEP ON GROWING
In the first nine months of 2020, sales of packaged Parmigiano Reggiano PDO (portions and grated cheese are its best performing segment) increased by +15.1%, but remuneration also returned to give satisfaction to producers. The price (from producer to wholesaler) of 12 months aged Parmigiano Reggiano PDO was 7.55 €/kg in June, while today it has reached 10.00 €/kg (source: Borsa Merci Parma). The growth in prices was more than 30%.
Production rate is also growing. In the first 9 months of 2020 it increased by +4.86%. A good sign despite the Covid-19 pandemic, but also a new challenge for a supply chain that will have to find answers from the market to enhance a production that is constantly growing.