HOW TO RECOGNISE REAL PARMIGIANO REGGIANO

FIND OUT HOW TO IDENTIFY PARMIGIANO REGGIANO FROM COUNTERFEITS AND IMITATIONS

Ingredients

Parmigiano Reggiano made with raw milk, salt and animal rennet. The presence of any other ingredients or preservatives shown on the label would mean that it is not authentic Parmigiano Reggiano.

Parmigiano Reggiano with the rind

When Parmigiano Reggiano is sold whole or in wedges with the rind, it has an important feature that means you can always recognise it: the marking. In fact, the rind should feature the dotted words “Parmigiano Reggiano”. It should be repeated all along the side of the rind. This is a mark of origin which is applied during the production phase and guarantees that the cheese is authentic.

Parmigiano Reggiano without the rind

Parmigiano Reggiano can be packaged in various ways requiring that the rind is removed (such as grated, in flakes or in cubes). So how can we be sure that the packaged product is authentic Parmigiano Reggiano when this dotted writing is not there?

You can see that it is an original cheese if the pack features at least one of the following selection marks

• The “Slice and whole cheese” mark 
• The “Mezzano” “Slice and whole cheese” mark
• The “Export” “Slice and whole cheese” mark
• The “Premium” “Slice and whole cheese” mark 

It also must have the information required by law on portioned and grated Parmigiano Reggiano labels.

Parmigiano Reggiano is only packaged in its area of origin. Only operators authorised by the Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium can do it. These operators are included in the control system of the Regulated Production Quality Control Board.

Which legal statements are required on labels?

Packs of Parmigiano Reggiano must indicate the following statements required by law and by the Protection Consortium:

• The CE Stamp indicating the production and/or packaging factory of the product. Each company has a different identification stamp formed of two letters that identify the country of origin (e.g. Italy = IT), and a number which identifies the region and the factory.
• The writing: “Certificato da Organismo di Controllo autorizzato dal Ministero competente – ITALIA” (Certified by a Control Body authorised  by the competent Ministry) together with the DOP logo (or PDO).
• The authorisation number issued by the Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium for all producers and packers of the product.

Only packs that simultaneously show at least one mark of origin or selection mark and all legal statements can identify real Parmigiano Reggiano, excluding products pre-wrapped directly by stores.

MARKINGS

SLICE AND WHOLE PARMIGIANO REGGIANO MARK

This mark identifies cheese that during the whole cheese selection test (expert quality control) was recognised as top-quality (chosen, number, one). It has a compact structure and characteristics that meet the specifications. It is therefore suitable for long ageing and can be enjoyed either as it is or processed. The marks of origin are applied onto the whole cheeses, i.e. the dotted writing of “Parmigiano Reggiano”, the casein plate and the oval fire-branded mark. This mark can also be used to indicate the grated product portioned into small weights (for example, cubes, nuggets and flakes), made from whole cheese that meets the requirements set by the Specifications.

MEZZANO SLICE AND WHOLE PARMIGIANO REGGIANO MARK

Parmigiano Reggiano is identified as Mezzano when it has certain slight or medium-sized defects in its structure and/or on the rind, but there are no alterations to the product’s typical organoleptic properties. The whole cheeses therefore have the oval fire-branded selection mark of “Parmigiano Reggiano”, but are different from top-quality cheeses thanks to the parallel grooves that are marked onto the heel of the whole cheese.

EXPORT MARK

This mark can be applied to whole cheeses that undergo expert quality control (assessed by the expert) when the Parmigiano Reggiano has reached the minimum ageing of 18 months and the cheese must be free from any imperfections.

PREMIUM MARK

This mark can be applied to whole cheeses that undergo expert quality control when the Parmigiano Reggiano has reached the minimum ageing of 24 months and the cheese must be free from any imperfections while also having passed an organoleptic test.