The Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium is in Cologne this week for Anuga 2025, the world’s largest food and beverage trade show, as it marks a milestone in its international expansion: in the first eight months of 2025, exports of the celebrated Italian cheese have overtaken domestic sales for the first time in history.
From 4–8 October, the Consortium will be in Hall 10.1 (Stand H050-G051), offering tastings, wheel-cuttings, and B2B meetings with German and international buyers. The stand will also showcase the activities of the Parmigiano Reggiano Academy, a training initiative launched in Reggio Emilia that has already involved more than 700 employees from over 20 major retail chains, in Italy and abroad.
EXPORTS OVERTAKE DOMESTIC SALES
Parmigiano Reggiano PDO’s exports accounted for 53.2% of total sales between January and August 2025, equal to 49,030 tonnes—a 2.7% increase on the same period in 2024. The strongest growth came outside the EU: the United States (+3.1%, 10,771 tons) confirmed its position as the top export market, followed by the United Kingdom (+10.4%, 5,608 t), and Canada (+12.9%, 2,482 t). Promising results were also seen in Norway (+11.3%, 386 t), and Sweden (+7.9%, 1,621 t).
Sales were marginally weaker in France (–0.7%, 9,864 t) and Germany (–1.3%, 6,709 t), the second and third largest foreign markets. But after an exceptional 2024 (growth of +9.1% and +13.3% respectively), this year’s slight dip was seen as a stabilisation rather than a setback.
BUILDING A GLOBAL BRAND
The Consortium is positioning Parmigiano Reggiano as a global icon, facing down a crowded international market rife with imitations. Its strategy is to highlight the cheese’s unique characteristics—maturation times, provenance, production process and flavour profile—offering consumers clear points of differentiation.
The Parmigiano Reggiano Academy is central to this effort. More than a traditional training school, it is presented as an immersive experience for professionals across retail, hospitality and catering, designed to create informed specialists capable of guiding consumers towards more conscious purchasing decisions.
The project has already reached 10 countries and four continents, from the US to Japan and the UAE, with plans to double participation by the end of 2025. Many operators who attended on-site training sessions later requested tailored courses in their home markets, a sign of the initiative’s impact.
A PACKED PROGRAMME AT ANUGA
Parmigiano Reggiano will feature prominently across Anuga’s programme:
- 5 October: sponsorship of the Italian Food Awards 2025, with a wheel-opening ceremony and a presentation by Academy head Simone Ficarelli.
- 6 October: participation in AFIDOP Cheese Unveiled: A Modern Taste of Italian Excellence at Köln Sky, highlighting 22 Italian PDO cheeses through tastings and pairings.
- 7 October: a special event at Cologne’s historic Brauerei zur Malzmühle, pairing three maturations of Parmigiano Reggiano with local beers.
“A HISTORIC MILESTONE”
“This year marks a historic turning point,” said Nicola Bertinelli, president of the Parmigiano Reggiano PDO Consortium. “For the first time, exports have overtaken domestic sales, reaching 53.2% of the total. The United States, the UK, and Canada are driving this growth, confirming Parmigiano Reggiano as a global brand capable of standing out even in competitive markets full of imitations. These results reward our commitment to highlighting the cheese’s uniqueness and reinforcing its identity as a PDO. In this context, Anuga 2025 is not just a showcase but a strategic platform for strengthening relationships and consolidating the global positioning of this Made in Italy icon.”