Market for certified food products - Italy

1.1 Introduction

The certified food market covers products that have received official certification from the European Union or other bodies, such as Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), Protected Geographical Indication (PGI), Traditional Specialty Guaranteed (TSG) and other similar certifications. These designations are governed by specific regulations that guarantee the geographic origin and quality of products while preserving traditions and production methods.

The market for certified food products in Italy includes a wide range of products, including cheeses, cured meats, wines, olive oil, pasta, bread, pastries, fruits, vegetables and many others. Each certified product has specific characteristics of origin, production and quality that must be met to obtain certification.

Throughout history, the concept of quality and the methods of certifying various products or services have undergone no small changes. The birth of the concept of quality can be attributed to the establishment of craftsmanship in which the producer is at the same time the controller of his own work. In 2000, with the issuance of the UNI EN ISO 9000:2000 series, the correlation of the concept of certified quality with that of perceived quality and customer satisfaction was born. For the first time, the concepts of process, system and interaction of processes were introduced.[UniversityPadua]

The market for certified food products in Italy is of considerable economic importance. The 2021 data on the Italian PDO economy reflect a significant recovery from the previous year, despite the effects of the pandemic. The PDO and PGI agrifood sector was worth 7.97 billion euros, a growth of 9.7 percent.[Mglobal]

This study will cover the food certification market as a whole, while in-depth analysis of specific products and certifications will be addressed by other Businesscoot studies.