The ‘war’ of Erbazzone. The chard-based savory pie from Reggio is at the center of a dispute to obtain recognition of the Emilia-Romagna IGP brand. In April, the producers association – which was formed precisely to promote the typical excellence of Reggio Emilia and its province – with the support of the Municipality and the Emilia-Romagna Region, had obtained the approval from the Ministry of Agriculture, the which sent the dossier to Brussels, where the European Commission has the power to approve the entry into the register of PDOs and PGIs. But the process was blocked due to an appeal to the Lazio Regional Administrative Court by the Sfoglia Torino company, owner of the Righi brand that produces Erbazzone.
Reason? If recognition were to pass, a specification would be established that would limit the geographical places of production to the province of Reggio Emilia alone in order to be able to call it Erbazzone Reggiano Dop. A brand that Righi could not boast of by churning out the product in Turin.
The Erbazzone Reggiano producers association (which includes Nonna Lea, Fattoria Italia, Bottega Gastronomica, La Vecchia Resdora, and Big) has therefore decided to appear in the proceedings to defend the provision challenged by Sfoglia Torino. «It seems truly incredible that a company, which is also the owner of a historic Reggio Emilia brand, is attempting to interrupt the positive process, recently endorsed by the Ministry of Agriculture, for the recognition of the protected geographical indication for Erbazzone Reggiano – he states a statement signed by the lawyers Giuseppe Pagliani and Gianluca Dallari, to whom the association has entrusted itself – We will fight in all the appropriate forums to ensure that the important protection of the protected geographical indication is recognised”.
