The PDO System For Certifying the Authenticity of European Foods
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The PDO System For certifying the authenticity of European foods BASICS PDO is short for Protected Designation of Origin, a European Community system designed to provide legally binding name protection for an elite group of high-quality foods. All cheeses, cured meats and other products awarded PDO certification are made according to traditional methods in a specific geographic region in Europe. The PDO system aids consumers, retailers, chefs and others in distinguishing between authentic European elsewhere. The farmers, artisans and technicians who make products and their many imitators. PDO products are not only highly skilled, but share a passion for upholding traditional methods passed from one generation The French AOC (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée) and the to another for centuries. Italian DOC (Denominazione d’Origine Controllata), national systems for protecting the names of regional wines, were the inspiration for the PDO certification system for food products. The acronym for PDO in Italian is DOP and, in French, AOP. PDO PRodUCTS IN AMERICA As a member of the World Trade Organization, the U.S. has an obligation to protect intellectual property rights. In the EARNING PDO CERTIFICATION view of the European Union, these rights extend to PDO A group of producers must first apply to a national authority, name-protected products, but the issue is still under debate documenting that their product meets the rigorous criteria in the U.S. Until this matter is resolved, European makers of for PDO status. Once that step is completed successfully, they PDO foods continue to take legal action against look-alike and submit an application to the European Commission for the sound-alike imitators in the U.S. and other countries. They right to identify their food as a PDO product. To qualify, a food are also counting on consumers to make informed decisions must meet strict, legally binding production guidelines and when choosing between authentic products and others. quality standards that are enforced in the producing country by independent national authorities, as well as by producers’ own associations. PURCHASING PDO PRodUCTS After encountering wonderful regional European cheeses, CoRE PRINCIPLES cured meats and other foods in their travels or in restaurants, The requirements for PDO certification are based on the concept Americans want to enjoy them at home — and the PDO system of terroir (French) and tipicità (Italian), which holds that the helps guide them to authentic products that have met strict flavor, texture and other unique qualities of a traditionally made quality-assurance standards. As an aid to consumers, some food are formed through a complex interaction of soil, plant life producers are using the PDO seal on their packaging or in and centuries-old production methods that cannot be replicated promotional materials. • CAMPAIGN FINANCED WITH AID FROM THE EUROPEAN UNION AND ITALY distinctive flavor. A curing period of at least 400 days Prosciutto di Parma® ensures that customers will be rewarded with perfectly cured Parma Ham every time. Natural goodness. World traveler. Slow-cured sweetness. Legendary traceability. FARM-TO-TABLE EXCELLENCE Authentically European. All of the approximately 160 Parma Ham producers belong to the Consorzio del Prosciutto di Parma, which guarantees their NATURAL FROM THE START products’ authenticity. Every step is monitored closely, not only Prosciutto di Parma is free of additives, cured only with the by association representatives but by independent technical help of air and sea salt. Though natural production methods are experts. Marks on the pork legs indicating origin, processor’s exactly what contemporary customers want, this is not a new identification and the date curing began provide visual evidence idea. In fact, all Parma Ham® has been produced with the same of a quality-control system that is entirely transparent. painstaking care since Roman times, when they were considered a delicacy suitable for banquet tables. By law, this world-famous THE FINISHING TOUCH ham can be cured only in the gently rolling countryside near When the hams are cured to the desired stage, the moment Parma, Italy, in the foothills of the Apennines. Traditionally, of truth arrives. As a final quality test, an inspector pierces producers opened their windows to capture the aromatic the ham in several locations with the traditional horse bone breezes needed to air cure the hams. needle, sniffing after each puncture. If the ham possesses the sweet-savory fragrance typical of Prosciutto di Parma, it is SUPERIOR PORK, CURED SLOWLY branded with the five-pointed Parma Crown, reminiscent of a To qualify for Parma Ham production, specially bred pigs must time when the Duchy of Parma ruled this region. Every Parma be born and raised according to strict guidelines on approved Ham also comes with an extra guarantee of authenticity: the farms in 10 regions of northern and central Italy. Their diet, European Union’s coveted PDO (Protected Designation of a special blend of cereals, grains and whey from Parmigiano Origin) certification. Reggiano production, contributes to the full-bodied, complex flavor of the hams. At the curing facilities, or prosciuttifici, that ON THE MOVE dot the countryside, highly experienced “salt masters” apply Once branded with the Parma crown, the hams are considered just the right amount of sea salt to produce a ham with the ready for market, although some are aged even longer — desired savory-sweet flavor profile. For months, workers monitor up to 36 months. Most hams are deboned before being humidity and temperature as the hams slowly develop their shipped to their destination, where retailers and chefs cut paper-thin slices to order. American consumers can also buy Prosciutto di Parma that is pre-sliced and packaged in Italy under the Consorzio’s supervision. EATING PROSCIUTTO DI PARMA Prosciutto di Parma serves as an energy booster because it contains amino acids, a quick-metabolizing form of protein. There are only 75 calories in a one-ounce serving, which contains 6 grams of fat, roughly two-thirds of it the “good” unsaturated kind. Prosciutto di Parma is also a good source of B-vitamins, especially thiamin. Classic ways of serving Prosciutto di Parma include pairing slices with melon and other fruit, garnishing a salad with strips of the ham and strewing a freshly cooked pizza with Prosciutto di Parma. Some chefs and cooks wrap fish or other seafood in Prosciutto di Parma before crisping on a grill or in a skillet. One of the simplest ideas remains the best: Paper-thin slices of Prosciutto di Parma, artfully draped on a platter. • CAMPAIGN FINANCED WITH AID FROM THE EUROPEAN UNION AND ITALY.