Ligurian Taggiasca Olives and Trentino Salted Meat become Igp

With the publication of the regulation in the Official Journal of the European Union on 2 October, the Ligurian Taggiasche Olives and the Carne Salada del Trentino obtained recognition as PGI (Protected Geographical Indication).

With these two new entries in the Register of Protected Geographical Indications, Italy has reached 330 GIs in the food sector - of which 174 PDO, 152 PGI, 4 TSG - to which 529 wine products are added, for a total of 859 GI designations; if we also consider the 36 Spirits we reach a total of 895 Geographical Indications.The Geographical Indications system is worth EUR 20.337 billion in production, and brings in products worth EUR 11.6 billion abroad. The geographical indications system is worth EUR 20.337 billion in production.

"Italy proves once again that quality, tradition and the link with the territory are the real competitive strength of our agriculture,' said the Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry, Francesco Lollobrigida. 'My commitment and that of Masaf is to guarantee these excellences new opportunities for growth and affirmation in the markets, and the geographical indications system is the way forward to protect our products and distribute value to all operators.

The production area of Igp Taggiasca Olives is the whole of Liguria, and refers to table olives and olive paste or paté made from the Taggiasca olive variety. They can be marketed as olives in brine, dry pitted olives, pitted olives in brine, pitted olives in extra virgin olive oil, olive paste or olive pâté.
The Ligurian Taggiasca Igp olives are characterised by above average sweetness, light bitterness, delicate flavour. The Taggiasca variety is historically linked to the Ligurian territory and contributes to the preservation of the typical Ligurian dry stone walls, declared an Intangible Heritage of Humanity by Unesco.

"The official registration of the Olive Taggiasche Ligurian Igp geographical indication," says Carlo Siffredi, President of the Ligurian Taggiasche Olive Producers Association, "represents a fundamental starting point to generate value for the benefit of the territory. Now we have to prove as producers, supply chains and institutions that we are up to this challenge, enhancing the strong identity link of these productions and their sustainability at three hundred and sixty degrees'.