Authentic Parmigiano Reggiano now uses technology to effectively combat counterfeits. The Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium estimates that the turnover of fake “parmesan,” considering only the non-EU area, is 2 billion euros-about 200,000 tons-equaling 15 times the volume of exported PDO Parmigiano Reggiano.
Italian producers have decided to test on 100,000 cheeses a new cheeses traceability method based on blockchain technology.
Under the pilot project, a microchip (edible for security reasons), about the size of a grain of salt, will be applied to the outer rind, more specifically in the casein label, and will allow, thanks to scanning, people to know whether or not the Parmigiano they are buying is original.
Parmigiano producers initiated this experimental program in 2022, with the goal of minimizing imitations and simplifying the buying experience for consumers eager for authenticity.
Unfortunately, the Italian industry has been suffering damage from Italian Sounding for years, a phenomenon that robs our country of an estimated 120 billion euros a year. The consequences have repercussions on many industrial sectors, with negative effects not only on the lack of tax revenue for the state, but also bring direct damage to companies and the people who work there, as well as significant image damage.
Faced with this challenge, the government has undertaken efforts to counter the phenomenon of Italian Sounding and protect the Italian manufacturing industry. There are, in fact, 4 million workers actively employed in the vast national food supply chain, which is a key pillar of the Italian economy, worth an estimated 580 billion euros, equivalent to a quarter of GDP.
ITA0039 by ASACERT, has been fighting for years in favor of Italian productions and restaurateurs around the world who spread the art of good Italian eating.”The Consortium’s initiative to combat the counterfeiting of Parmigiano Reggiano, is part of a framework of renewed national pride and of our country’s productions. – said Fabrizio Capaccioli, CEO ASACERT and creator of the ITA0039 | 100% Italian Taste Certification protocol – A desire for protection that even the government is taking seriously, promoting a series of actions that ITA0039 by ASACERT is sharing and supporting. Technology can also be a valuable ally in this battle for authenticity, we understood this during the pandemic, when we developed the ITA0039 APP that allows all consumers, in every corner of the world, to be able to verify whether the product they are buying is Italian or the result of counterfeiting – concludes Capaccioli- a fundamental piece remains, however, the certification of 100% Italian products and restaurants to effectively fight the phenomenon of Italian Sounding.”
