The Central Inspectorate for the Protection of Quality and Fraud Repression (ICQRF) of agri-food products of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forests (Masaf) has entrusted, with a Ministerial Decree, the authorization to CSQA to carry out controls for the Protected Designation of Origin Pecorino Crotonese for the next three years.The product becomes part of the more than eighty geographical indications controlled by the certification body.
Pecorino Crotonese PDO is a representative product of the basket of certified products of Calabria , a region that - exclusively in the food sector - can boast 30 PDO PGI products for an economic value of €820 million generated by the work of 5,756 operators belonging to the certified supply chains (Data from the Ismea-Qualivita 2024 Report).
Present in the area since very ancient times, before the Middle Ages, Pecorino Crotonese PDO can today count on a supply chain of 95 tons of certified production and 22 operators capable of generating €1 million in production value , translated into €1.7 million in consumer value (Data from the Ismea-Qualivita 2024 Report).
Since 2012, the Consortium for the Protection of Pecorino Crotonese PDO has safeguarded and promoted this Calabrian excellence produced exclusively in the Crotone area and in some neighbouring municipalities to the north and south outside the province of Crotone.
Among the main tasks is the commitment to stem the counterfeiting that is increasingly widespread, even overseas. For two years the original Pecorino Crotonese PDO has been branded to allow consumers to recognize it more easily and defend themselves from imitations.
On the other hand, the Consortium tries to enhance the knowledge of this ancient cheese through dissemination and promotion actions.
The recognition of the PDO has not only allowed the protection of the identity of this Calabrian cheese, but has also allowed the dairy and pastoral tradition to continue its course even today in these places that have always been devoted to pastoralism, where until recently the practice of transhumance was pursued from the Sila mountains to the hills of the Marchesato.
“ The choice of CSQA” – stated Francesco Scarpino, President of the Consortium for the protection – “a leading certification body in Italy in the field of Geographical Indications, is dictated by the desire to make a leap in quality. It is no coincidence that we have chosen a high-level certification body already linked to well-known Italian PDO and PGI brands. The ambition of Pecorino Crotonese PDO is to succeed in establishing itself and being recognized as one of the Italian PDO cheeses, without ifs or buts, and we are certain that the choice of CSQA is part of the strategy to achieve this goal”.
“The choice of our Certification Body” – underlined Pietro Bonato, CEO of CSQA – “is the confirmation of our commitment to the promotion of products with designations of origin. The entry of Pecorino Crotonese PDO into the basket of controlled dairy products makes us proud to continue the path taken with many other agri-food excellences and confirms the trust placed by the most important national operators in the sector. We will work with the Consortium for the protection of Pecorino Crotonese, born from the vision of Apocc, the Cooperative of sheep and goat breeders of Calabria, with the aim of safeguarding and protecting a product with a long history”.
The PDO Pecorino Crotonese confirms the value of the portfolio of PDO PGI products certified by CSQA, which currently includes 81 Geographical Indications : a figure that underlines the desire to increasingly support the development of quality agri-food chains, a symbol of Made in Italy and the vocation of the territories.
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