The market for food products is suffering a slowdown due to the economic crisis, but quality Italian food, especially when protected by EU recognition (DOP and IGP) is resisting thanks to a push in exports.
Ismea points out that “Italy is the EU export leader in terms of the quantity of official certifications, which currently stand at 245.” “The segments seeing the highest number of these certificates are fruit and vegetables, then cheeses, extra-virgin olive oil, and meat,” the institute added.
According to Istat, DOP, or Denominazione di Origine, top the list of quality-certified Italian products with 149 officially recognized food items in 2011, followed by Indicazione Geografica products. Throughout the world in recent years a general rediscovery of natural products has been taking place, together with greater demand for all that is genuine. This has been a decisive factor for quality Italian exports, due to the notable reputation which allows them to be easily distinguishable in a highly competitive market.
One of the most important obstacles facing the spread of quality products Made in Italy abroad is the increasing phenomenon of their imitation, which brings with it a visible contraction in market share to export business volumes.
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EU Recognition is Added Value
