Calabrian chilli peppers and Zampina from Sammichele di Bari: the two new PGI designations are now official

Two new products from Italy’s culinary heritage have officially been added to the European register of Geographical Indications. With the Peperoncino di Calabria PGI and the Zampina di Sammichele di Bari PGI, Italia now has a total of 892 designations, out of a total of over 3,700 protected European products. Closely linked to the culinary identity of their respective regions, these two new ‘Made in Italy’ additions are part of a package of 13 newly registered GI products from Finland, France, Italia, Romania, Spain and Sweden.

“The registration of ‘Peperoncino di Calabria’ and ‘Zampina di Sammichele di Bari’ is a significant achievement that recognises the hard work of our producers,” commented the Minister of Agriculture, Francesco Lollobrigida - Geographical Indications are the key route to ensuring our finest products are recognised for their true value: Southern Italia has enormous potential in this sector, home to many producers eligible for inclusion in the European register. The inclusion of these two products is a positive sign that consolidates Italia’s undisputed leadership in Europe within the agri-food sector, bearing witness to our biodiversity and the quality we are able to deliver.”

The Masaf notes that data from the Qualivita Observatory confirm the economic value of the supply chains in the two regions concerned. Apulia, the second region in the South in terms of the value of the PDO economy with €711 million in 2024, reaches 61 designations thanks to the Zampina di Sammichele di Bari PGI. This is a fresh sausage made from a mixture of beef and sheep meat, grated mature cheese, peeled tomato purée, pepper, salt and basil, stuffed into natural sheep casings.

Calabria, on the other hand, has seen its Peperoncino IGP receive 42 awards worth a total of 51 million euros; the designation covers fresh and dried fruits, whole or in pieces, ground into flakes or powder, of the Capsicum annuum species, belonging to various varieties; its distinctive characteristics are due to the soil and climate conditions of Calabria, characterised by high levels of sunlight, a hot and breezy climate, factors that favour the development of the fruits and the accumulation of capsaicinoids, which are responsible for the typical heat.