Italy: Microchips in Parmesan against counterfeits

Italian emigrants in Argentina created reggianito; a South American imitation of parmesan. In Brazil, they copied it with parmesao. And, with the invasion of Ukraine and the trade embargo that prohibited a long list of food products from reaching Moscow, Russkiy Parmesan has become popular in Russia, an “alternative” to Italian parmesan that is produced in the Stavropol area. According to its producers, it is made with pasteurized milk, is matured for 12 months and “a very similar consistency and a specific intense flavor and aroma.” True Parmesan can only be produced in five Italian provinces According to the Coldiretti association, a platform that represents half a million Italian farmers and ranchers, the value of counterfeit Made in Italy agri-food products is 120 billion euros. Italy is tired of the popularity of its products causing copies abroad and some sectors are beginning to take action on the matter. One of them is Parmesan, Parmigiano Reggiano, one of the best-known ...