Parmigiano Reggiano launches Australian campaign against domestic parmesan
The campaign is the consortium’s first major consumer-marketing initiative in Australia. It is intended to differentiate cheese made under the Parmigiano Reggiano Protected Designation of Origin rules from domestic hard grating cheese sold as parmesan in supermarket aisles.
Australia’s agreement with the European Union protects the compound name “Parmigiano Reggiano” as a geographical indication. The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has confirmed that the English term “parmesan” is neither a geographical indication nor an exclusive translation under Australian law. Australian manufacturers may therefore continue to make and market hard grating cheese under that name without a regulatory penalty.
The Australian Food and Grocery Council opposed European demands for stronger protection during the trade negotiations. It said that ending the generic use of “parmesan” would require product redesigns, create packaging write-downs and disrupt domestic manufacturing. The consortium’s campaign consequently centres on consumer information rather than a ban on the generic label. Its retail message is that shoppers should look for the stamped “Parmigiano Reggiano PDO” seal; Italian-style branding or red, white and green imagery alone does not identify the certified product.
Consorzio president Nicola Bertinelli said Australia offered commercial potential as affluent shoppers showed greater interest in provenance and production methods. The campaign presents Parmigiano Reggiano as a food to be eaten independently as well as used on pasta, and describes different maturation periods. These range from cheeses aged for 12 to 19 months, with fresh lactic characteristics, to wheels matured for 36 months or longer.
The consortium also highlights the product’s production rules. Parmigiano Reggiano is made only with raw cow’s milk, natural calf rennet and Mediterranean salt. Chemical preservatives, synthetic enzymes and fermented silage in cattle feed are excluded. The consortium contrasts this process with some pre-grated parmesan products, which use cellulose-based anti-caking agents and potassium sorbate to support shelf stability.
The Australian initiative forms part of the consortium’s wider export strategy. International exports have exceeded domestic Italian consumption, while supply-chain turnover has passed €3.2bn. The consortium identifies the United States, Japan and Australia as overseas markets for additional European milk production and is seeking retail distribution through premium supermarkets including Coles and Woolworths, as well as independent grocers.
Australian dairy businesses that retain the right to produce parmesan include Bega Cheese, Saputo Dairy Australia and specialty Victorian cheesemakers. The domestic product provides a market for surplus milk solids and butterfat. In Italy, the consortium represents cooperative farms in Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, Bologna and Mantua, where production rules include non-silage feed. It also uses regulatory monitoring and lobbying of international trade bodies to challenge packaging that resembles established European dairy products.
