During the second quarter of this year, some 100,000 wheels of Parmesan cheese will be provided with a digital label on their rind the size of a grain of salt
It is said to be one of the oldest cheeses in the world, but it is also among the most widely copied. Despite being protected by the Parmigiano Reggiano designation, the famous Italian foodstuff hopes to put an end to counterfeit versions by using a digital label on its coveted cheese wheels.
During the second quarter of this year, some 100,000 wheels of Parmesan cheese will be provided with a digital label on their rind the size of a grain of salt. For the time being, this is a test phase, aimed at better identifying the cheeses produced under the Parmigiano Reggiano protected designation of origin (PDO). Only cheeses produced in the Italian provinces of Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena and Bologna on the left bank of the Reno River, and in the province of Mantua on the right bank of the Po River, are entitled to use the name "Parmigiano Reggiano." The production of the milk, the processing, the maturing and the packaging of the cheese must all be carried out within this geographical area.