In a presentation this fall at an Italian food convention, the president of the Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium said that the United States is the number one export market for Parmigiano Reggiano, and that the Consortium will continue to fight against the use of the generic term “parmesan” and so-called “Italian-sounding” or “Italian-looking” marketing within the United States in an effort to reduce competition and increase sales of the Italian cheese. Nicola Bertinelli said that “clearer and more transparent regulations” in the U.S. would allow the Consortium to increase the size of its market in the U.S. by more than 50 million Euros.
“Our objective shall be to demonstrate that the word ‘parmesan’ is an evocation of the Parmigiano Reggiano designation and that using it for cheeses not compliant with our production specifications violates our Protected Designation of Origin.”
He said the consortium will continue to promote its product and monitor for “imitators” in the United States. “However, to reach our objectives, we need the help of lawmakers…. Regulations able to eliminate practices that are misleading for consumers, in particular the use of geographical names, images and brands evocative of Italy to advertise products that have absolutely nothing to do with our country, the most shameless form of unfair competition and fraud to consumers in the agri-food sector,” he said.
To read the rest of the story, please go to: Consortium for Common Food Names (CCFN)