DESENZANO DEL GARDA (BS) – Fictitionally lengthened ripening, false branding on common cheese or on a netted product were the main infringements ascertained in various Italian locations by the Surveillance and Protection Service of the Grana Padano Consortium, as part of the “Happy Easter” control plan ”, activated in anticipation of the increase in consumption for the holidays.
“We wanted to guarantee the authenticity and quality of the product on consumers’ tables in a period that can be considered at greater risk of infringements – comments the General Director of the Consortium, Stefano Berni –. Therefore, the consortium surveillance service has intensified its inspection activities in distribution and catering throughout the national territory”.
The irregular situations emerged in Campania and Veneto. Grana Padano was discovered displayed for sale with a declared maturation period of 16 months which instead turned out to be a few months shorter. In another point of sale, a sticker bearing the Grana Padano logo had been applied to a common cheese and finally in a commercial establishment, a reticulated cheese was found on sale as Grana Padano Riserva for over 20 months, i.e. even without the quality requirements set by the Specifications. of Production for fire branding.
All these packages were removed from the market and fines ranging from €2,000 to €13,000 were imposed on those responsible for the illicit conduct.
“The managers of the sales outlets have taken advantage of the widespread information on the frequency and effectiveness of the surveillance service checks and the result is the overall low number of infringements – concludes Berni – Consumers, for their part, can count on a significant level of safety, which the Consortium for the Protection of the most consumed DOP cheese in the world is able to guarantee”.
The Grana Padano Protection Consortium includes 129 processing companies, which manage 137 productive dairies, 149 seasoners and 200 pre-packagers.
In 2023, 5,456,500 wheels were processed with an increase of 4.69% compared to the previous year, equal to 211,830.742 tonnes (+4.84%).
In 2022, production was 5,212,103 wheels, equal to 202,051.4 tons, transforming approximately 2.760 million tons of milk milked in 3,835 stables. The entire production chain of the most consumed protected designation of origin product in the world thus involves 50 thousand people.
In the period January – February 2024, 1,030,511 wheels were processed, with +4.72% compared to the same month of 2023.
Exports are also growing. In 2023, 2,482,891 wheels were marketed abroad, equal to approximately 50% of the total branded wheels, with a +6.55% compared to the previous year.
In 2022, the gross salable production of matured cheese delivered ex-store was 1.7 billion euros, which for consumption rose to 3.2 billion euros, of which 1,550,000,000 in Italy and 1,650,000,000 in the abroad.
Projections for 2023 estimate a GNP per consumption of 3,700,000,000 euros, divided between Italy with 1,750,000,000 euros and abroad with 1,950,000,000.
These performances confirm Grana Padano as the most consumed DOP cheese in the world.
Since 1954, the Grana Padano Protection Consortium has guaranteed respect for the traditional recipe and its high quality, recognizable and found in every single wheel produced. On 24 April 2002, a decree from the Ministry of Agricultural and Forestry Policies recognized the Consortium with the functions of protection, promotion, valorisation, consumer information and general care of the interests relating to Grana Padano in its nature as a PDO product, or Designation of Origin Protected.
President of the Consortium is Renato Zaghinisupported by the deputy vice president Giuseppe Ambrosiby the vice president Attilio Zanetti and the treasurer Valter Giacomelli. General manager is Stefano Bernimanaging director Carlo Costa.
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