Bresaola's strategy against tariffs: what Lollobrigida's proposal consists of
Calderone (Assica): 'The minister's idea of producing bresaola with meat imported from the US and then re-exporting it to the US can stand'
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"It is a safe bet that many will think it is yet another boutade, but Minister Lollobrigida's proposal to try to produce bresaola with meat imported from the United States and then re-export it to the US may stand up. Davide Calderone, director general of Assica, the Italian association of cured meat and processed meat industries, is convinced of this.
The minister's proposal was made as part of the EU-US negotiations to try to limit the damage of US tariffs. Italy and Europe, in fact, are trying to meet the US request to reduce its trade deficit by increasing purchases of star and stripes products. With this in mind, a debate has developed in Italy on the raw materials on which Italy has a deficit (maize, soya and even durum wheat) and for which our country could increase its purchases from the US.
Meat for Bresaola, therefore, can also fall into this group of products, but the discussion needs to be broadened.
Bresaola is an all-Italian speciality: a beef-based cured meat that is made from 90% imported meat. This is why Bresaola della Valtellina bears the PGI mark instead of the PDO mark because the former allows freedom of sourcing raw materials, whereas the PDO requires only local raw materials.
Bresaola della Valtellina is produced in excess of 80% with meat imported from Brazil because over the years, Valtellina producers have identified the meat of a breed of cattle bred in Brazil, the Zebu, as the best raw material to make their product.
