Etna Lemon PGI, the 12-month lemon

The Etna Lemon PGI is the lemon cultivated along the Ionian-Etna belt of the province of Catania, between the Alcantara River to the north and the northern border of the municipality of Catania. The protected geographical indication, registered by the European Union in October 2020, concerns two cultivars e three harvests per year, from autumn to summer. The specifications attribute the specificity to the volcanic soils, to the climate mitigated by the sea, to the high content of citral in the essential oils of the peel and to the technique of forcing, which allows the harvesting of verdelli in the summer months.

GIFT has already dedicated an in-depth study to the verdello and the two Sicilian PGIs that protect it. This sheet concerns the denomination as a whole: rules, territory, analysis, market, nutrition, and uses.

Production and market

In Italy The lemon occupies about 25 thousand hectares, with a production of 472,000 tons in 2023 (Istat, 2024). The Sicily concentrates about 70% of the national citrus production.

No data on certified PGI volumes are published: one year after registration, the producers' association estimated about 75 thousand tons annually as the potentially marketable production. The single Etna’s business network, based in Acireale, declares 150 hectares and about 5,000 tons per year, distributed throughout all seasons.

The domestic market rewards denominations. According to CSO Italy surveys in large-scale retail (February 2026), the8% of volumes of lemons purchased by families are branded PGI and the protection marks appear in 6% of private label references. Large-scale retail intercepts almost 90% of domestic volumes, of which 54% in supermarkets, and 85% of shelf references are of national origin.

The exports of Italian lemons grew by over 40% in 2025, both in volume and value (Fruitimprese on Istat data), and in the first half of 2026 they recorded a further +17.04% in value.

From agrocotto to IGP, two centuries of Etnean lemon growing

The cultivation of lemon spreads onEtna at the end of the eighteenth century, driven by maritime trade from the ports of Riposto and Catania and by the demand for agrocotto, the concentrated juice used in shipping and Northern European countries against scurvy (regulation, article 6).

In 1841 the French traveler Viscount De Marcellus notes the granitas of Giarre, prepared with freshly picked lemons and Etna snow. In the 1869 Paolo Calì Fiorini, president of the Agricultural Committee of the district of Acireale, invites to plant lemons for their profitability. The entrepreneurs of Acireale respond with reclamation and ston removal works, first near the coast and then up to 300-400 meters altitude. Federico De Roberto, in ‘Viceré’ (1894), describes the excavations among the Mongibello lava in search of water for orange and lemon groves (regulation, article 6).

In the 1922 Giulio Savastano publishes in the Annals of the Royal Experimental Station of Citrus and Fruit Growing of Acireale a study on the cultivation biology of the lemon on the eastern Etnean slope, which already identifies an ‘Etnean lemon region’ basically coincident with the current IGP area.

The decline arrives in the last decades of the Twentieth century. At the beginning of the 1980s the lemon surface of the area was 9,500 hectares (Carrà, 1984, cited in the specification), while today the surface potentially claimable as a Protected Geographical Indication is estimated at 2,500-3,000 hectares. In the 2014 producers and packers constitute theEtna Lemon Association. Registration PGI arrives with the implementing regulation (EU) 2020/1533. The protection consortium, established in December 2021, obtained ministerial recognition in November 2023.

Specifications: territory, cultivars and three harvests

Production area and soils

The production area includes sixteen municipalities of the province of Catania: Aci Bonaccorsi, Aci Castello, Aci Catena, Aci Sant'Antonio, Acireale, Calatabiano, Castiglione di Sicilia, Fiumefreddo di Sicilia, Giarre, Mascali, Piedimonte Etneo, Riposto, Santa Venerina, San Gregorio di Catania, Valverde and Zafferana Etnea (disciplinary, article 3).

I soils are of volcanic origin, permeable, fertile and rich in organic matter. The climate is mitigated by the Ionian Sea. In the note accompanying the registration, the European Commission also recalled the 'particular cultivation technique, which allows summer production'.

Cultivars, types and juice parameters

The PGI is reserved for Femminello and its clones and to the Monachello, of the species Citrus limon (L.) Burm. Each cultivar produces three types, distinguished by harvest time:

• Primofiore, winter lemon, harvested from September 15 for Femminello and October 15 for Monachello;

• Bianchetto o Maiolino, spring lemon, harvested from April 1;

• verdello, summer lemon, harvested from May 15.

The requirements of the juice are common to all types: acidity above 5.5%, total soluble solids over 7 degrees Brix, and essential oil yield above 0.3%. Juice yield ranges from over 25% for Monachello verdello to over 34% for Femminello primofiore. The minimum weight is 90 g for Femminello primofiore and 80 g for verdelli. Fresh fruit is sold in categories Extra and First, calibers from 3 to 6 (regulation, article 2).

Fruits destined for processing may have different category, size, shape, weight, and color, provided they comply with juice and essential oil parameters (regulation, article 2).

Forcing and verdelli

The forcing, or 'dry', suspends irrigation during the summer months and induces controlled water stress. The resumption of irrigation and fertilization causes a new flowering, from which the verdelli of the following summer are born. The regulation links this practice, evidenced for over two centuries, to the permeability of volcanic soils (regulation, article 6).

Cultivation, harvesting and labeling

Operating rules directly affect yield, peel quality, and product traceability:

• maximum density of 700 plants per hectare, up to 1,400 in the first six years in dynamic planting systems;

• maximum production of 60 t/ha for the entire campaign, including all flowering;

• harvesting with scissors, except for products intended for processing;

• ban on synthetic waxes and fungicides after harvesting, ensuring edible peel;

• label with the PGI logo, two lemons, and the inscription 'Etna Lemon PGI', on 100% of bulk sold fruits;

• label 'Etna Lemon PGI intended for processing', with cultivar and batch, on packaging or transport documents for the industry (regulation, articles 5 and 8).

The designation allows both conventional and organic cultivation, now regulated by EU regulation 2018/848.

Citral, juice and minerals: what the analyses say

The distinctive feature claimed by the regulation is chemical. The essential oils of the Etna lemons, according to CREA-OFA analyses in Acireale, have an average content of citral (a mixture of geranial and neral aldehydes) of 3.61%, against 3.49% for Siracusa lemons and 3.29% for those from Bagheria. The same studies indicate in the verdelli of both cultivars the highest content of flavonoids (regulation, article 6).

A study by the University of Messina (Di Bella et al., 2026) compared Sicilian citrus fruits grown on volcanic soils (Etna and Stromboli) and non-volcanic (Marsala). Fruits from volcanic areas show higher concentrations of minerals such as potassium, phosphorus, iron and aluminum. Discriminant analysis correctly classified all samples by origin. These data, presented by the authors as a proof of concept on an orchard per area, suggest the potential of the elemental fingerprint as a tool for verifying the origin of lemons, also useful for PGI controls.

Nutritional profile

The food composition tables indicated by CREA — Food and Nutrition Research Center (2019) report the following nutritional values for fresh lemons (code 008030; edible portion 64%, serving 150 g).

Per 100 g of edible portion	Value
Energy	65 kJ / 16 kcal
Fat	0 g
of which saturated fatty acids	0 g
Carbohydrates	2.5 g
of which sugars	2.5 g
Fiber	1.9 g
Proteins	0.6 g
Salt	0.005 g
Vitamin C	50 mg (62.5% NRV)

Operators can therefore use the nutrition claim ‘rich in vitamin C' in labeling and advertising of both fresh fruit and juice, pursuant to regulation (EC) no. 1924/06. Lemon juice, according to CREA tables (code 008040), provides only 10 kcal and as much as 43 mg of vitamin C per 100 ml (53.8% NRV).

Regulation (EU) no. 432/2012 in turn authorizes the use of thehealth claim 'vitamin C contributes to the normal function of the immune system' on the products that constitute its source.

Our team of DO (Food and Agriculture Requirements) supports operators, their representatives and consortia — including research ones — in enhancing foods also from a nutraceutical point of view.

Uses in cooking and processing

The Limone dell’Etna IGP regulation recalls the local uses of lemon as seasoning, flavoring and base for granitas, and the habit of drinking lemon juice in half a glass of water upon waking (regulation, article 6).

The lemon granita, today a summer breakfast of eastern Sicily with brioche, has in the recipe of the Cucchiaio d’Argento lemon juice and grated lemon zest, water, sugar. Among the ingredients the recipe indicates the ‘edible peel‘, a requirement that Limone dell’Etna IGP satisfies due to the ban on post-harvest treatments. In the kiosks of Catania the drink of seltzer, lemon and salt persists.

The ban on waxes and synthetic fungicides makes the peel usable in pastry, candied fruit e liqueurs, starting from limoncello. The processing industry can use juice, peels and essential oils, with the dedicated label that ensures traceability of the IGP raw material also in semi-finished products.

Instructions for buyer and consumers

Some elements allow to recognize and appreciate the authentic product:

• the IGP label on each loose fruit and, on packages, the cultivar (Femminello or Monachello) and the category;
• the usable peel, guaranteed by the ban on post-harvest treatments, without the need for the label ‘edible peel’;
• The organic certification, allowed by the regulation, which guarantees the application of the highest standards of environmental and biodiversity protection;
• for the industry, the minimum parameters of the juice (acidity, Brix, essential oil yield) and the label ‘destined for processing’ on packaging or transport documents.

Conclusions

Limone dell'Etna PGI offers fresh Italian lemons twelve months a year, with verdelli available in summer, zest free of post-harvest treatments and juice and essential oil parameters set by law. These are characteristics that affect catering, pastry making, the juice and liqueur industry and large-scale retail trade, where the PGI share is growing. The supply chain has yet to make the certified volumes public, which is essential data for the buyer international.

Dario Dongo

Credit cover Consortium for the protection of Etna Lemon PGI

References

European Union regulatory sources

Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1533 of 15 October 2020 entering a name in the register of protected designations of origin and protected geographical indications (‘Limone dell’Etna’ (PGI)). OJ L 351, 22.10.2020, p. 1. http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2020/1533/oj

Publication of an application for registration of a name pursuant to Article 50(2)(a) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012, ‘Limone dell’Etna’, EU No PGI-IT-02444. OJ C 204, 18.6.2020. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52020XC0618(11)

Regulation (EU) 2024/1143 on geographical indications for wine, spirit drinks and agricultural products, as well as traditional specialities guaranteed and optional quality terms for agricultural products. Consolidated text: 18/03/2026. http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1143/2026-03-18

Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers. Consolidated text: 01/04/2025. http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2011/1169/2025-04-01

Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 on nutrition and health claims made on foods. Consolidated text: 13/12/2014. http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2006/1924/2014-12-13

Commission Regulation (EU) No 432/2012 establishing a list of permitted health claims made on foods. Consolidated text: 20/08/2025. http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2012/432/2025-08-20

Regulation (EU) 2018/848 on organic production and labelling of organic products. Consolidated text: 25/03/2025. http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2018/848/2025-03-25

Italian institutional sources

CREA Research Center for Food and Nutrition. (2019). Food composition tables. Lemons, fresh (008030). https://www.alimentinutrizione.it/tabelle-nutrizionali/008030

CREA Research Center for Food and Nutrition. (2019). Food composition tables. Lemons, juice (008040). https://www.alimentinutrizione.it/tabelle-nutrizionali/008040

Istat. (2024). Italian Statistical Yearbook 2024, chapter 13, Agriculture, table 13.2. https://www.istat.it/storage/ASI/2024/capitoli/C13.pdf

Ministry of Agricultural, Food, Forestry and Tourism Policies. (2018, October 18). Proposal for the recognition of the protected geographical indication ‘Lemon of Etna’. Official Gazette of the Italian Republic, General Series (editorial code 18A06631). Official Gazette, 18.10.2018, 18A06631

Scientific studies

Di Bella, G., Nava, V., Potortì, A. G., Sturniolo, R., & Lo Turco, V. (2026). Multi-element analysis of Sicilian citrus fruits from volcanic and non-volcanic areas for geographical authentication and food safety assessment. Foods, 15(17), 3008. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15173008

Market data and industry press

Askanews. (2026, February 11). Consumption of IGP branded lemons grows, it is 8% in large-scale retail. https://www.radiostudio90italia.it/cresce-il-consumo-di-limoni-a-marchio-igp-e-l8-in-gdo/

Consortium for the protection of the Etna IGP Lemon. (n.d.). The history and the Consortium. https://limonedelletnaigp.it/il-consorzio/

FocuSicilia. (n.d.). Lemon of Etna: IGP for one year, ready for the market. https://focusicilia.it/limone-delletna-da-un-anno-igp-pronto-per-il-mercato-il-migliore-al-mondo/

FreshPlaza. (2025). The ‘Etna IGP Lemon’ expands its presence in large-scale organized distribution. https://www.freshplaza.it/article/9701613/il-limone-dell-etna-igp-amplia-la-presenza-nella-grande-distribuzione-organizzata/

FreshPoint Magazine. (2026). Record fruit and vegetable exports in 2025: +11% in value and +8.1% in volume. https://www.freshpointmagazine.it/produzione-mercati/export/export-ortofrutta-italia-2025-dati-esportazioni-fruitimprese/

Journal of Fruit Growing and Ornamental Horticulture. (2026). Fruits and vegetables, Italian exports +4.4% in the first half. But costs and imports rise. https://rivistafrutticoltura.edagricole.it/economia-politica/ortofrutta-per-lexport-italiano-44-nel-primo-semestre-ma-crescono-costi-e-import/

Recipes

Silver Spoon. (n.d.). lemon granita. https://www.cucchiaio.it/ricetta/granita-al-limone/