For the first time ever, in 2014, global production of Italian cheeses in the style of the Parmigiano Reggiano and the similar Grana Padano overtook that of the genuine variety.
According to Italy's biggest agriculture group Coldiretti what it considers as 'fake' versions of the famous cheeses, were produced overseas – mainly in the United States (120 million kg) and Australia. This compares to 295 million kilograms of the 'real' product produced in Italy.
Coldiretti points out that the real Parmigiano Reggiano is produced in accordance with specifications approved by the European Union.
According to Coldiretti, confusing Parmesan with Parmigiano Reggiano and Grana Padano jeopardizes a production system that is worth nearly €4 billion in revenue. Grana Padano is at the top of Italian products protected by the EU, with a turnover worth €1.5 billion from national consumption and €530 million from exports, while Parmigiano Reggiano is in second place with €1.5 billion from domestic consumption and €460 million from exports.
Italy's hard cheeses have suffered a drop in exports, with the sector already struggling to recover from an earthquake in 2012. Exports dropped the most to the United States, down 10% to €100 million. Also, Parmigiano Reggiano producers saw a 20% drop in prices to €7.31 per kilo over the past year, while consumer prices were down by just 4.0%. According to Coldiretti, one in four small producers of Parmesan have gone out of business since 2007.
On the positive side, there has been a minor surge in the value of exports of other typical Italian cheeses such as pecorino and gorgonzola.
© 2015 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article written by Branislav Pekic
