QUALIVITA ATLAS 2011: QUALITY ITALIAN PRODUCTS INCREASED TO 227 PDO, PGI AND STG. NEWS AND INFO ABOUT THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE UNIFICATION OF ITALY. “QUALIGUIDA” INDICATES WHERE TO FIND QUALITY RESTAURANTS.

The food basket of quality Italian food products is growing: in just 13 months 22 new products have been registered as denominations: 14 PDO (protected designation of origin) and 8 PGI (protected geographical indication) in the categories fruit and vegetables, animal origin and cheese (the Ribera Orange PDO is the only Italian orange to receive the PDO denomination and Piacentinu Ennese PDO is number 1000 in the European Registry) reaching a total of 227 products: 142 are PDO, 83 PGI and 2 TSG (traditional specialty guaranteed).

These are the figures from the fifth edition of “Qualivita Atlas”, the encyclopedia of protected brand Italian products, compiled by the Qualivita Foundation in collaboration with AICIG –Italian Association of Geographical Indication Consortiums (info:www.qualivita.it), presented today to the Ministry of Agricultural Policies, which sponsors the association. To celebrate the 150 years of the Unification of Italy, the new edition has added interesting historic anecdotes and information about 70 Italian products that have truly had a fundamental role in the Unity of Italy. An example? Not everyone knows the Interdonato Messina Lemon PGI was named after a Colonel in Garibaldi’s army, Giovanni Interdotiato.

“I think it is common belief, at least among professionals, that quality, recognition and food safety are the distinctive characteristics of Italian food production,” underlined the Minister of Agricultural Policies, Saverio Romano. “Quality guarantees the success of our production and that is why it is extremely important to invest in promotion. Products are highly promoted in the regions, provinces and municipalities of Italy, but they are not coordinated and therefore we risk missing great opportunities”.

Today we are witnessing a further confirmation we have achieved great results through hard work and professionalism. PDO and PGI products are moving ahead”, says Giuseppe Liberatore, President of AICIG, “we however must remain vigilant. In Brussels they are fighting for the future of denominations. Our relationships with the Minister of Agricultural Policies and with the EU Parliament are excellent and profitable, but it is now necessary to convince the Ministers of Agriculture to accept our requests: first of all, to give Protection Consortiums the possibility to regulate production volumes”.

The European Parliament Agricultural Commission is favorable and has already given its consent,” pointed out Paolo de Castro, President of the European Parliament Agricultural Commission and Qualivita, “to a proposal for an amendment that I signed together with the main representatives of the political groups on the Commission. We expect a favorable vote from the European Parliament on June 21st, but the Council of Ministers has to do its part, too.
The Italian Geographical Indications sector is in constant evolution. Every year it is in the limelight presenting many changes: registrations of new quality products, specifications, updates of industry associations involved in the process of certification. Within the first 5 months of 2011 Italy registered eight new products, more than France and Spain, who only registered one and two units, respectively. ”Qualivita Atlas" tells the stories of the 227 Italian PDO, PGI and TSG products through product data sheets with photos and historical information, product characteristics, method of production, up to date legislative information, news and anecdotes. There are 21 changes to the specifications in the 2011 edition, requested by the Consortium, to correct and highlight the reality of productions and many interesting stories about the 22 newly registered products. To name a few, the Ribera Orange PDO is the only Italian orange that has been awarded the Protected Designation of Origin and Piacentinu Enna PDO, a cheese flavored with peppercorns and saffron, was registered number 1000 in the European Register. Not everyone knows that Vastedda PDO from Valle del Belice is one of the few spun paste sheep cheeses produced in the world. Spinning sheep’s milk is very difficult and requires special manual skill, care and delicacy. The Leonforte Peach IGP is a late September fruit and has a very particular method of cultivation - while peaches are still on the tree they are wrapped in parchment paper bags to prevent insect attacks.

“In this edition of the Atlas,” explains Mauro Rosati, the author and Secretary General of the Qualivita Foundation, “to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Unification of Italy, we have also included some interesting facts and historical anecdotes related to 70 Italian products. It’s a sort of common thread about the transformation of our country where food has had a leading role in contributing to the Unification of Italy. An obvious example of this osmosis is Provolone Valpadana - a typical southern Italian tradition that spread to the north during the years of unification”. Around 1870, the production of Provolone cheese moved from southern to northern Italy thanks to the initiative of the Margiotta brothers who moved from Muro Lucano (Potenza) to open a cheese factory in Borgo San Giacomo (Brescia) mainly because of the abundance of cow milk produced there and new technologies. Another example is the Interdonato Lemon from Messina named after Colonel Giovanni Interdotiato of Garibaldi’s army, who, after having fought with Garibaldi and the Sicilian patriots and governed Messina under the Savoy rule, retired to private life in his villa in Fiumedinisi. In this period of his life, he developed a passion for cultivating citrus fruits, which led him to crossbreed a citron with an ariddaru, a local lemon, obtaining what is now the Lemon Interdonato Messina IGP. Also, Giuseppe Verdi moved to Villanova sull’Arda (Piacenza) in 1848 and fell in love with the area. He used to send the prized culatelli of the area to his friends around the world, becoming an exceptional testimonial, who certainly contributed to the fame and reputation of this outstanding and unique sausage.



Focus – “Qualiguide” – indicates the Italian restaurants where you can taste the excellence of Italian PDO, PGI and TSG products. 80% of the 21 million Italians who eat outside the home want clear information on the origin of products
Up until now guides to Italian restaurants have represented mainly a guide to the best chef, or the most beautiful location or quality of service. “Qualiguida”, instead, the new guide from the Qualivita Foundation, presented today in Rome, both in the classic paper and in digital version, have let PDO, PGI and TSG Italian products steal the show. “It’s a different perspective,” explains Mauro Rosati, Secretary General of the Foundation and editor of “Qualiguida” which rewards restaurants offering the excellence of Italian quality products and meets a revealed need - 80% of the 21 million Italians who regularly eat outside the home, also want clear information on the origin of products”.

Qualivita takes a different approach to the world of food - the essential link between the producer and the consumer. “In our opinion,” continued Rosati, “the restaurant can become in a sense the true bearer of excellent Italian food, because through their dishes they also offer stories of the excellence of the territories, serving as ambassadors of Made in Italy quality food industries. There should therefore exist a solid relationship and synergy between restaurants and local certified products. Unfortunately this kind of relationship is far away or missing altogether. Qualivita wants to be a stimulus to encourage this relationship”.

It is important for both professionals and fans, who are more and more aware of the difference between a PDO-PGI product and a generic product, “and who certainly appreciate a guide that finally returns the product to its natural leading role,” Mauro Rosati concludes. “That is why I think a quality restaurant cannot exist without quality products. And, I do not underestimate the fact that events dedicated to certified products (about 150 events, including festivals, fairs and events dedicated to the excellence of the Italian food basket) draw a map of Italian taste, tradition and culture. This is the Italy we like and want to narrate”.



Highlights - Coldiretti: The 2010 turnover of PDO / PGI Italian products was over 9 billion euros. Italy is the leader in Europe
In 2010, leading quality Italian products protected by the EU recognition had a turnover of more than 9 billion euros, of which about 1.5 billion euros through exports on foreign markets. The Association of Italian Farmers, Coldiretti, estimate, at the presentation of “Qualivita Atlas”, stresses that Italy with 227 products awarded in 2010 has consolidated its position of leader in Europe ahead of France and Spain for the number of Denomination of Origin (PDO), Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) and Traditional Specialty Guaranteed (TSG) products.

Coldiretti points out that the turnover is mainly due to the excellent performances of higher priced products. Among the most positive performances of single designation of origin products there are Parmigiano Reggiano and Grana Padano, which scored a record increase of 26% on world markets, but also Parma ham which achieved its best ever result in 2010 and had a significant driving effect for the entire industry. In China, Grana Padano and Parmigiano Reggiano increased by 162%, despite the fact that Asians traditionally do not eat dairy products. Cheeses and cold meats are the areas where Italian designation of origin reach the highest turnover, while the products that prevail in number of awards are, in order: fruit and vegetables, cheeses, cured meats, olive oils and baked goods.

The proliferation of fake food products abroad is slowing down the growth of Italian denomination products - says Coldiretti - causing image and economic damage. The real danger is that false Italian products could take root on international tables, taking away market space from authentic specialties and diminishing the results of techniques, traditions and territories, which make Made in Italy products unique and inimitable.

It is estimated that fake Italian food products abroad are worth 50 billion euros and cover the most typical products. It is the case - said Coldiretti - of typical cheeses where Parmesan cheese is the tip of the iceberg the world over, from the U.S. to Australia. There are Romano, Asiago and Gorgonzola cheeses produced in the U.S. where you can also find Californian Chianti and disturbing imitations of Calabrian headcheese, Asiago and San Marzano tomatoes “passed off” as Italian. In some cases there are fake classic brands, like San Daniele mortadella and San Daniele ham produced in Canada. The countries where imitations are most widespread are Australia, New Zealand and the United States, where, Coldiretti points out, only 2% of Italian cheeses are Made in Italy imports, while the rest are imitations and fakes obtained on American soil with American milk in Wisconsin, New York or California. There is also another reason to be worried - concludes Coldiretti – the trend in emerging countries like China where false Made in Italy products arrived on their markets before the original ones and which will most likely affect their growth.