Italian food
The Italian food industry is losing its primacy in the world market The number of food products officially registered as being ‘made in Italy’ is around 3000 and it’s a business worth 8 billion euro per year in Europe alone. But one in three food products sold as Italian, is made somewhere else. In supermarkets and restaurants around the world you can find Parma Ham and Calabrese salami made in the USA, Mortadella Milanesa produced in Chile and Argentinean Salame Milano.
Roman Pecorino (Italian sheep milk’s cheese) that is made of cow’s milk and sold in the US, Californian Chianti, South African Grappa or Australian Marsala – a liquor made in the Sicilian town of Marsala. The EU has recently set regulations for the method and ingredients of Italian pizza-making to differentiate the Italian product from other ‘pizzas’ topped with pineapple or chicken that are billed as being Italian but would never be made or served in Italy. It’s not just national pride that irks the Italian producers who respect strict production guidelines. What really stings is that their business and their reputations are damaged by products made to less-demanding standards, but sold under the Italian name. The real Parmigiano Reggiano has been made since the 11th century with traditional methods around Parma and Reggio Emilia, and its quality is strictly controlled right down to the cow’s diet. 600 million kilos a year of grated cheese called ‘Parmesan’ are sold worldwide – with additives, bleaches and antioxidants to make it resemble the real thing. It’s then packaged, emblazoned with an Italian flag – and named Parmesao in Brazil or Parmesano and Reggianito in Argentina. So next time you’re browsing the deli section of your supermarket, take a little extra time to make sure you get the real thing! felix