From buffalo mozzarella to Parma ham, from Roman pecorino to mortadella from Bologna, right through to Neapolitan pizza, Italy shows off its regional specialities with pride. And just like the most self-respecting fashion houses, food and agricultural products now have a special label which makes them unique. They are the accreditations awarded by the European Union (EU), which in 1992 created a system to protect local delicacies under the general umbrella of Protected Food Name (PFN) stamps. They are divided into three categories: Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), which requires products to be produced, processed and prepared within a certain geographical area, and their quality or characteristics must be essentially due to that area; Protection of Geographical Indication (PGI), for which at least one production phase must take place in a determined area but not all the ingredients need to be sourced from that area; and Traditional Speciality Guarantee (TSG), which designates foods made using traditional methods but has no geographical boundaries.

All three stamps have one common denominator: they indicate the authenticity of the products that we consume. Nowadays the threat of