Consortium

Supervises the production and trade of Fontina PDO

The Consortium uniting Fontina producers was established in 1952. It was born as Fontina Producers' Consortium, then becoming Consorzio Produttori e Tutela della DOP Fontina since 2002.

The Ministerial Decree of 26 June 1957 entrusts the Consortium the task of supervising production and trade of cheese for which the denomination of origin Fontina may be used. In implementing the supervisory action, the Consortium is entrusted with the task of affixing markings or signs able to identify Fontina cheese.

Since time immemorial, the mark affixed by the Consortium guarantees product quality and protects the consumer from possible imitation attempts. In its first year of activity, the Consortium branded 75,000 Fontina wheels. Within ten years the number of branded wheels became 150,000, doubling again at the end of the 1980s and growing steadily until today.

One of the most significant dates in the Consortium's journey is 14 July 1993, when the Consortium submitted an application to the European Union Commission for the recognition of the PDO to Valle d'Aosta cheese, which until then boasted the historic DO, Denomination of Origin.

In 1996, In a draft regulation, the Commission includes the Protected Designation of Origin “Fontina” along with six other Italian cheeses.

On 26 April 2002, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry recognised the Consortium of Producers for the Protection of Fontina DOP and assigns him to perform the functions of protection, promotion, enhancement, consumer information and general care of interests related to the denomination. The duties and powers attributed to the Consortium (ex Law No. 526 of 21 December 1999) include proposals for regulatory frameworks, advisory tasks and the definition of quality improvement programmes of productions, as well as cooperation against all kinds of abuse, unfair competition and counterfeiting. The ministerial appointment is renewed periodically to date: the most recent was on 26 January 2019.

Protected Designation of Origin

Today, the Fontina PDO cheese (Protected Designation of Origin throughout the European Union), it must be produced in accordance with the Fontina PDO Production Specifications, i.e. possess precise characteristics in terms of shape, weight, diameter, heel and organoleptic characteristics that make it unique in the Alpine dairy industry.

In addition, the specification sets out all the rules of the production cycle, starting from the raw material (raw, whole milk and cow's milk from the Valdostana breed) and the feeding of the dairy cows to the whole process of processing, maturing and packaging.

La marking, managed by the consortium, is therefore preceded by the evaluation of all the basic characteristics defined in the specifications. Only those forms that pass the checks and meet the requirements the mark distinguishing the Fontina PDO product is impressed and differentiates it indelibly from imitations. The commission that assesses the shapes consists of experts identified by the Consortium, registered in a special register and in charge of controls.