The Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium (PRC), the association overseeing the production of Italy’s famous parmigiano reggiano cheese, has implemented a technological solution to combat counterfeiting. To enforce the protected status of parmigiano reggiano, which must be produced in a specific region of northern Italy, the PRC has started inserting microchips into the labels on the rind of about 120,000 cheese wheels. These scannable food tags with QR codes allow consumers to trace the cheese back to its place of origin. PRC president Nicola Bertinelli stated that this innovation will “continue to ensure consumer safety” and differentiate their product from similar-sounding cheeses that do not meet the strict requirements for parmigiano reggiano. The PRC also successfully blocked Kraft Heinz from registering “Kraft parmesan cheese” as a trademark in Ecuador. (CBS News)
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