Italian producers are fed up with the Parmesano stolen. So they are putting microchips

Gouda, ManchegoCheddar, Roquefort and Parmesano, of course. All have in common that they are Cheese typesbut also that, together with many others, they represent something more important: culture, tradition and even a country. Such is the importance of certain foods that the European Union created the DOP seal, A quality system To protect them. But outside the EU, products are still confused under the DOP that have a lower quality.

In Italy they have tired have decided to take action on the matter armoring the Parmesan cheese. As? Inserting microchips.

Parmesan. Parmesan is one of the most ‘copied’ cheeses in the world. And it is not due to its flavor, but to something that interests the industry much more: its prestige and the high value of it. Parmesan is used in recipes as dear as Pizzas Or a certain type of pasta, and if you have ever bought a Parmesan, you will know that the price is very different from other wedges.

Out of Europe is the jungle. It is one of those cheeses with the seal of Denomination of Protected Origin And, although the European Union prohibits the use of the name “Parmesan” for products that are not ‘Parmigiano Reggiano Dop’, the problem is that there are markets, such as the American, in which a cheese ‘parmesan’ is sold that nothing has to do with Parmesan.

Apart from the United States or Latin America, there are versions of ‘ParmesanReggianito‘Argentine after World War Ithat it was consolidated so much that it caused the creation of the Reggiano Parmigian consortium.

It is estimated that this imitations market moves around 2,000 million dollars annually. To put it in context, the authentic Parmesan moved 3.2 million in 2024.

A Burrada. Estimates point to 90% of products labeled as “Parmesan” that are not really Parmesan. These are cheese made based on cheaper cheese mixtures, with extreme cases of some stuffed with wood fibers. And, as you can imagine, it is something that entails several inconveniences for the DOP, such as direct damage to the consumer being a lower quality product, but with a high price. And also affects Parmesan’s own industry, eroding its cultural value.

The Italian consortium He has managed to block some attempts to parmesan cheesebut it has not been enough and manufacturers have gone to action.

Microchips in food. For a few years, the Parmesan cortex (which is a part that is not usually consumed, although it is very good to make a cream or to some popcorn) incorporates QR codes. They allow a traceability of the product and are “printed” based on dairy proteins. If you want to eat the bark that carries that QR, there would be no problem. The wheel also has a system of points that act as a kind of identity document. However, the volume of fraud forced the sector to look for new solutions.

There the microchips come into play. Developed By the American company P-chipthis microchip is somewhat larger than a salt grain and is inserted into the casein label. Each has A unique code that stores all cheese information:

• Origin.
• Production date.
• Place of production.
• Origin of milk.

Protecting the denomination of protected origin. It is something that allows producers and distributors to verify the authenticity of that piece and, of course, gives a guarantee to the consumer, who knows that he is paying a high price for the product he wants to buy. According to security tests, and how we can read in The Guardianalthough the chip is in contact with the food, it does not leave toxic waste and can be easily removed at home because yes or yes it is in the QR code.

This began to be implemented in 120,000 of the four million wheels annually in Parmesano, but the Reggian Parmigian consortium wants this technological solution to become a standard in its industry.

Beyond Parmesan. In the end, it is a measure for Protect the economic value of the product And, if the DOP seal does not say – not protect – nothing outside the European Union (a seal that shares cheeses such as Manchego or Roquefort), which at least between QR and microchips There is a traceability and a fight against “falsifications”. The objective, according to account The president of the PRC, “is to transmit the value of our product globally and distinguish it from products with similar names in the market that do not meet our strict production and area of origin.”

And, precisely, the Reggian Parmigian can teach the way to other products with denominations of origin such as the Padano Grana or the aforementioned Spanish and French protected cheeses.

Images | Parmigianoreggiano, Udo Schröter, Morgan Cheeses

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