According to recent Istat data, Italy keeps on heading the European list of certified productions, that increase at a steady pace, with no equal in any other European country. In comparison with the 248 certifications recorded by Istat on December 31st 2012, Italy gained 7 more acknowledgments, so reaching 255 appellations among DOP (Protected Denomination Of Origin), IGP (Protected Geographical Indication), and STG (traditional specialty guaranteed). France and Spain follow us, but at a long distance: Paris reaches 197 acknowledgements and Madrid 162.
According to Confederazione Italiana Agricoltori (CIA), it’s necessary to promote our DOP and IGP that are not well known yet, as well as fight against counterfeit. Today 97% of the whole proceeds of sales of Italian DOP and IGP concerns about twenty products only: Parmigiano-Reggiano, Grana Padano, Aceto Balsamico di Modena, Mela dell’Alto Adige, Prosciutto di Parma, Pecorino Romano, Gorgonzola, Mozzarella di Bufala Campana, Speck dell’Alto Adige, Prosciutto San Daniele, Mela della Val di Non, Toscano, Mortadella di Bologna, Bresaola della Valtellina e Taleggio. What is more important is to adopt zero tolerance towards companies that copy our products of excellence, with an unfair competition and compromising the prestige of our food system, both on domestic and foreign market. Just in Italy, the alimentary counterfeit invoices more than one billion Euros, with 10 million kilos of counterfeit food that were confiscated just in 2012. In addition, Italian sounding causes even more serious damages: its illegal business produces 60 billion Euros per year.
