Parmesan cheese is being chipped to combat counterfeiting
Parmesan cheese (Parmigiano Reggiano) is indispensable in the kitchen as far as we’re concerned. The crumbly, umami-rich cheese has been made in Italy for centuries. You could say that the golden-yellow wheels are more or less THE cultural heritage when it comes to food and drink. Something the Italians are multo proud of, provided it’s a truly authentic Parmesan wheel.
A little chip in the Parmesan cheese
Parmesan cheese is the most imitated cheese in the world. Dutch supermarkets also carry various lookalikes that present themselves as Parmesan, but which have never even been heard of in Italy. To combat this counterfeiting even more effectively, Parmesan cheeses will now be chipped.
When is Parmesan cheese truly authentic?
Parmigiano Reggiano may only be produced in five provinces: Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena (also the source of the best balsamic vinegar), and parts of Mantua and Bologna. Italians are strict about the production processes and their designation of origin. Only cheeses produced in these regions according to the traditional recipe receive the DOP designation; the term for a typical Italian prodotto agroalimentare —a quality food product.
QR cheese code
But by now there are so many fake cheeses in circulation that the competition is fierce—and, above all, unfair. It is something real cheesemakers have been fighting against for years, and the new chip takes another step in that battle. By chipping the cheeses and providing them with a QR code, buyers can see where and when the cheese was made. So far, around one hundred thousand cheeses have been chipped. The chip is smaller than a grain of salt, by the way, and is placed in the rind. So don’t worry about accidentally grating it over your plate of pasta.
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