Protection of Italian food products

Italian typical products are food excellencies known across the world that can be protected and safeguarded through the quality marks D.O.P. (Denominazione di Origine Protetta or Protected Designation of Origin) and I.G.P. (Indicazione Geografica Protetta or Protected Geographical Indication) issued by the European Union.

 

The protection regime applied by the European Community aims to protect producers, investments and consumers in terms of the characteristics and the high quality of selected food products.

D.O.P. products and I.G.P. products

The legal protection mark Denominazione di Origine Protetta (D.O.P.) is assigned to food products that owe their particular characteristics exclusively to the territory in which they are produced. The aim is to protect the combination of all aspects that enable the production of a unique product that cannot be reproduced in other geographic areas.

Both the geographical characteristics of the territory, such as the climate, and also human skills such as production techniques passed down over time, in a very limited production area, are therefore included in this protection.

 

The legal protection mark Indicazione Geografica Protetta (I.G.P.) is assigned to food products that have one of their characteristics, such as, for example, reputation, linked to the geographical origin and at least one of the processing phases must take place in that given territory.

 

The DOP protection mark, assigned to Salame Brianza, is therefore the most prestigious recognition as it protects and guarantees consumers as to the origin of the ingredients used and ensures that all processing phases are performed in a limited geographical area.

Protection marks and protection consortia

The assignment of IGP and DOO certifications is an important tool for consortia protecting Italian food products such as the Salame Brianza Consortium.

 

The use of protection marks is actually authorised by consortia exclusively for products that respect the rules indicated in the production specifications.

 

In our country, consortia have the task of protecting not only the high quality of Italian food products but also preserving the cultural tradition of our territories.