Seals and Marks

The MARKS OF ORIGIN are the markings engraved by a stenciling band around the rind of a wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano during its first few hours of life. These marks include:

• Distinctive dotted letters spelling PARMIGIANO REGGIANO
• Inscriptions of the PDO and the Consortium
• Dairy identification number (in 3 different places)
• Month and year of production (in 3 different places)
• Identification mark of production plant

The CASEIN PLATE affixed to one of the two flat surfaces of the wheel bears a unique and progressive alphanumeric traceability code, allowing the whole life cycle of the wheel to be tracked back to its dairy of origin.

The grade selection mark is applied to wheels which pass quality inspection tests after 12 months of maturation.

This inspection is carried out by skilled experts from the Consortium. Following the certification issued by the PDO control body, the mark is indelibly branded with a hot iron onto the wheel of cheese.

The Consortium holds the PDO marks for Parmigiano Reggiano, thereby identifying cheese of various categories during quality testing for PDO compliance, and supervises the correct use of those marks.

The quality control process identifies three cheese categories:

The first category: Parmigiano Reggiano, namely cheese with a compact-textured paste and features compliant with the specifications (first-grade, zero, one), suitable for a long maturation, to be enjoyed both in chunks during meals and in food preparations as grated cheese. Therefore the wheels bear the marks of origin (dotted inscription and casein plate) and the oval hot-iron mark.

The second category: “Medium-grade” Parmigiano Reggiano, namely cheese that shows minor or moderate defects in the structure of its paste and/or on the rind, which however do not alter the typical flavor, aroma, or other sensory characteristics of the product. It is ideal for direct consumption as a table cheese. These wheels as well bear the hot-iron selection mark “Parmigiano Reggiano”, but they differ from the first-grade wheels because of the parallel grooves engraved all around the rind.

The third category: classified as “downgraded” or “de-rinded”, namely cheese that, showing major defects, is not compliant with the Parmigiano Reggiano specifications. These wheels are downgraded by eliminating the marks of origin through the removal of the rind (a few millimeters). Therefore, this cheese cannot show any reference to the PDO or use the name Parmigiano Reggiano.

Starting from the 18th month of maturation, dairies may request the Consortium to affix an additional mark on first-grade Parmigiano Reggiano:

• the PREMIUM or EXPORT mark. This gives trading companies and consumers further information about the quality of this Parmigiano Reggiano.

These marks may also be affixed on the packaging of the cheese selected in this way.

Since 2012 the packaging of Parmigiano Reggiano, grated and in pieces, with and without rind, must be carried out exclusively within the area of origin by authorized and certified entities.

The label of the product must include the certification logo “Parmigiano Reggiano piece and wheel” and, since April 2018, the cheese pieces must specify the minimum maturation time in addition to all the information established by the legislation in force:

• PDO symbol
• Certification by the Italian Ministry of Agriculture
• Identification mark of the packaging plant

In 2013, EU Regulation no. 1151/12 introduced the denomination “Mountain Product” to identify food products coming from mountainous areas in the European Union.

Parmigiano Reggiano is the most important PDO product made in the mountains, with over 110 dairies located in the mountains and over 1200 cattle farmers who contribute every day to strengthening the economy and preserving the uniqueness of the mountain areas of Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena and Bologna. In order to further support sustainability in mountain areas and to offer guarantees that include the quality of the cheese in addition to its origin, the Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium has launched the “Quality Project - Mountain Product.”