Files
Abstract
The first known formal assessment of Parmigiano-Reggiano quality dates back to 1867 and was
done by a commercial company to promote trade. In 1934, the Consortium, a collective
organization of producers, introduced controls to improve market image by using a mark of quality.
Beginning in 1954, and continuing after the PDO recognition by the European Union in 1992, the
government became an actor in the qualification process of Parmigiano-Reggiano. Evolution and
changes in the quality control of Parmigiano-Reggiano were influenced more by the demands of the
trade than by changes in production practices due to the modernization of the process.