Parmesan. The name alone sends shivers down the spine. It is an insult to beauty, as well as to goodness, authenticity and Made in Italy. The only certified and recognisable ITALIAN product that can be compared to Parmigiano is Parmigiano Reggiano itself, full stop.
Yet, think about it, most Americans – perhaps among the most avid consumers of Parmesan – actually believe they are eating a world-renowned, top-quality Italian product when they eat it.
The similar name to Parmigiano, the lack of food culture, and the naivety of foreign consumers open an easy path to misunderstanding. Unfortunately, however, the economic damage to our country is enormous, also the result of the carelessness of those who, long ago, should have better controlled, defended, and promoted our wonderful products in the world, creating work and development in an Italy that needs it so badly.
Parmesan, however, is not limited to the States, but also to the eastern market and… hear, hear… even Italy! We are talking about last month, referring to a maxi-seizure in the port of Genoa of a tomato and Parmesan preparation, destined for the domestic market (horror!).
These episodes are the ones that hurt the most, for those who, like us, have dedicated their lives with sacrifice and dedication to produce a product of excellence (our organic Parmigiano Reggiano) in a healthy way. We are keen to build a loyal relationship, even one of friendship, with our customers, which in general risks being undermined by the unfair competition mentioned above.
We conclude by saying 2 things:
1) Fortunately, consumers are becoming more and more informed (including foreign consumers who come to visit our cheese factory in increasing numbers). Therefore, ours is in no way a criticism of the public, but of those who market their products according to unfair competition.
2) We appeal to the European Union and our national authorities to protect us more and pay more attention to these issues.
The food market is one of the pillars of the Italian economy, if it collapses, a large part of our culture, of our profits, of ourselves also collapses.
