Parmigiano Reggiano producers form new alliance

Three of the largest makers of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese in Italy have now formed a single marketing union with a total production capacity of around 30,000 tonnes per year. Total production of the minimum 32% fat content Parmigiano cheese in Italy is around 114,000 tonnes, with 18% exported. The Modena and Madonnas cooperatives have already been working together and now they have officially merged with the Medolla cheese cooperative to form a single cooperative called “4 Madonnas”. The move is expected to streamline the 900-year-old network of medium sized Parmigiano producers with one cooperative now handling the milk from 400 of the largest-scale traditional producers. These farmers do not pasteurise their milk and feed their cows only fresh grass and hay as forage.