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by Tiziana Di Giovannandrea 05 October 2019The clash has become open between Italian and US cheese producers.

The fuse was triggered by a document from the National Milk Producers Federation (the American Association of Milk Producers that produces more than two thirds of US milk) with which they are asked to sell imitations of Italian cheeses also in the European Union.

Agricultural Policy Minister Teresa Bellanova takes the field and attacks: "The words on the duties of American cheese producers are very serious, the EU must stigmatize. Hands off our names, enough with identity theft. Words on duties of the American association of cheese producers are very serious.The American producers want to overturn reality, they want to pass our names through common names and then sell them in Europe too, if their project is to sell Parmesan or fake mozzarella in Europe, we must say clearly that it will never happen! "he said. Then turning to Trump he says: "It is unfair to put the duties, you are depriving your citizens of quality because we do not export junk food but high-level food."

For their part, the US milk producers in the document speak of "unfair practices" and "abuse of the EU of geographical indications to limit competition".

Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium: the US war on PDO products is now clear
The comment by Nicola Bertinelli, president of the Consortium of Parmigiano Reggiano, to the document of the National Milk Producers Federation, is lapidary: "The United States puts down the mask and declares what are the real objectives of the duties that go to hit only some of the products of the 'quality Italian food farming'. Bertinelli underlines how "it makes explicit the desire of the American Government to wage war on European Geographical Indications. Finally it is clear why in the list of products subject to an additional 25% duty there are only certain Italian geographical indications, such as Parmigiano Reggiano The duties are nothing more than a spite because Europe protects the registered Dop: American cheeses (such as Parmesan, but also Asiago or Gorgonzola, Fontina made in the USA) cannot therefore enter into the European Union".

"The claims of the American government - Bertinelli continues - are absurd: we will never allow the Americans to sell Parmesan in Italy, and this applies to us, as well as to all the other consortia for the protection of Italian geographical indications. We must defend the our products because we only know how to do them and because they are an expression of the territory and culture of our country.The Italian and European politics must be on the side of the Consortia because in the world we have to face expensive lawsuits so that the names of the geographical indications are used only for authentic Italian products. On the market there must no longer be a Parmesan made in Wisconsin, an American Asiago or Gorgonzola.The 'tarot' that is produced elsewhere and that uses a name that evokes the original Italian product has the effect of deceive the consumer ", Bertinelli concludes.