Among the numerous surveillance activities carried out over the years by the Grana Padano Protection Consortium , those concerning the production chain in the phases following the branding of the product, extending from the maturing warehouses to the packagers and large-scale distribution, are of particular importance.
"We are credible in product checks at the point of sale if we use the same rigor towards those who produce the most consumed PDO cheese in the world - explains the general director of the Grana Padano Protection Consortium, Stefano Berni -. Therefore traceability , maturing , grating and packaging are phases in which we apply the same rigor dedicated to marketing and which together guarantee protection for consumers, especially in a historical moment like the current one in which the phenomenon of Italian sounding manifests itself in an increasingly insidious way on the shelves of the points of sale. The consumer must feel reassured about the authenticity and genuineness of our product and at the same time must be protected from comparative or evocative conduct that could induce him to choose a product that, in the presence of correct information, he would probably not purchase. This is why the consortium surveillance service increases checks with updated methodologies, techniques and tools to make its activity increasingly widespread and effective, in close and constant contact with institutions and law enforcement".
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The inspection activities conducted in the other areas of intervention, even during the night or on holidays, have instead highlighted a context of general linearity and conformity. Among these, the inspections carried out in the vicinity of the dairies with the aim of identifying and countering the possible use of foreign milk or at the packagers to verify that the grating operations are carried out in compliance with the processing schedule previously communicated to the certification body ( CSQA Certificazioni ) which is the body responsible for assisting all such operations.
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Source: The Zootechnical Informer