Certified quality

Controls

Fontina has a certified quality that is guaranteed three times over

Before becoming Fontina PDO, in fact, the wheels have to pass particularly strict controls.

 

A third party, authorised by the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policy to ensure compliance with the product specification, carries out such controls and checks are carried out throughout the production chain.

From stable to finished wheel

Following the positive outcome of the checks, an authorisation to mark the products suitable for the PDO is issued.

Only after this authorization, the Consortium proceeds with the activity of expertise of lots and subsequent marking.

 

After tactile assessment of the wheels’ consistency by experts appointed by the Consortium, who are listed in a special register and entrusted with the task of control, careful core drilling is carried out during production, on a sample basis, by lot, to check that the softness is within the standard range..

 

Flexibility is also assessed on the sample (the cheese should stretch; the ends should touch but not break between the fingers).

 

At that point, the Fontina is ready to be marked and labelled.

 

A wheel of Fontina that passes all the controls and is ready for marketing typically weighs between 7.5 and 12 kilos and has a diameter of 43 centimetres. Its rind is compact and brown in colour.

  • Stamp

    The first and main indicator of quality that is put in the middle of the Fontina wheel is the marking stamp which certifies that it has been produced in accordance with the production regulations. Furthermore, it has passed the assessment of the experts of the PDO Protection Consortium Branding Commission.

  • Marking

    The number of the Consorzio Tutela Fontina (CTF) mark can be found just below the stamp. Each CTF number corresponds to a member producer of the Consortium. This information can also be requested in the specialized points of sale and can be found on the website in the section Producers.

  • Identification number

    The last certification visible on the cheese wheel is the casein plate with the identification number that allows complete cheese traceability, day of production and origin of the processed milk.