The Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium (Consorzio del Formaggio Parmigiano Reggiano) has launched a three-year integrated campaign co-funded by the European unio (EU) to promote its Protected Designation Origin (PDO) status.

The campaign will run from 2023 to 2026 and is aimed at the UK market. It has been initiated to educate and inspire both trade and consumer audiences on its heritage cheese.

As part of the campaign, there will be display and TV advertising, social media, collaborations with high profile influencers and Parmigiano Reggiano’s brand ambassador Gennaro Contaldo.

“We’re delighted to have the support of the EU in our continued efforts to educate UK trade and consumer audiences on Parmigiano Reggiano’s excellence, inspiring both professional chefs and home cooks on new ways to enjoy this incredibly versatile cheese, which carries such phenomenal craftsmanship and heritage with it,” said President of the Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium, Nicola Bertinelli.

Each year, over 4,091,144 wheels of Parmigiano Reggiano are produced, with 62,429 tonnes of Parmigiano Reggiano being exported annually. As of 2022, there are 305 dairies in a small region of northern Italy that are linked with the company.

The Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium has highlighted that “The European unio supports campaigns that promote high quality agricultural products.” It has said that it produces its cheese using the same heritage methods that have been “trusted in its production for centuries”.

Outlining what makes Reggiano unique, the company has said that its Parmigiano Reggiano produced today is produced “as it was almost 1,000 years ago”, using the same three ingredients – milk, salt and rennet.

What’s more, it is the only cheese that can legally be called ‘Parmesan’ and the collaborative three-year campaign between the Consortium and the EU aims to strengthen this message.