From this year CSQA will control the Igp Borgotaro mushroom,
only certified mushroom in Europe
CSQA, the leading national certification body in the agri-food sector, will carry out checks on the Borgotaro PGI mushroom starting from this harvesting season.
The only non-cultivable fruit and vegetable product to be certified at European level, the Fungo di Borgotaro PGI attracts 100,000 people every year to an area of over 60,000 hectares.
Starting from the 2016 season, the Fungo di Borgotaro PGI brand - the first non-cultivable fruit and vegetable product certified at European level - will be controlled by CSQA , the leading certification body at national level in the agri-food sector, through an accurate control plan for all categories of the supply chain. This mushroom is gathered in an area of over 60,000 hectares involving 8 municipalities , 6 in the province of Parma and 2 in the province of Massa Carrara.
The collection and marketing of this product are represented by a supply chain which, in 2016, voluntarily involved about 25 producers and packers . Among the latest news, from this year the dried product will also be marketed in addition to the fresh one and it will also be subject to controls by CSQA to guarantee the final consumer who will be able to take advantage of an excellent product, even dry, in total safety.
The Fungo di Borgotaro PGI brand has been active since 1993, following the recognition of Protected Geographical Indication by the Ministry for Agricultural and Forestry Policies thanks to the initiative of the Consorzio Comunalie Parmensi , an organization that manages the woods of the collective properties of the Parma Apennines and which, in its program of improvement and enhancement of the managed territory, after promoting actions aimed at the rational and correct use of the mushroom resource, has undertaken the procedures aimed at obtaining PGI recognition.
In 1995 the Consortium for the Protection of the Borgotaro IGP Fungus was established with the aim of guaranteeing, enhancing and promoting the main product of the upper Valtaro - which attracts over 100,000 people every year - through a specific production Regulation.
The history of the Mushroom of Borgotaro PGI
The history of the Borgotaro mushroom begins at the end of the 19th century, thanks to the export of this product by mountain people forced to emigrate to America or England. The valleys of the Taro and Ceno (in Emilia-Romagna) and the Magra (in Tuscany) host this porcini mushroom, which is the main wealth of the woods of the Apennine area in the Province of Parma, between Emilia, Liguria and Tuscany.
Who is CSQA
CSQA is a leading Italian certification company in the agri-food sector that offers certification, inspection and training services in Italy and abroad. The first certification body accredited in Italy in the food sector, it was chosen for the control of 58 PDO and/or PGI products. It offers an international and accredited certification service to all organizations wishing to demonstrate their quality, sustainability and social responsibility. He is a founding member of Valoritalia, a leading certification body in the control of DOCG, DOC and IGT.
The next appointments
Among the scheduled initiatives, the preview of the 41st edition of the Borgotaro PGI Porcini Mushroom Festival will open on Friday 16 September. "Qualità e Gusto in Valtaro" - also sponsored by the Parmigiano-Reggiano Consortium and the Consortium for the Protection of the Wines of the Parma Hills - will be a unique opportunity to taste products officially recognized at European level and typical products of the Taro Valley. For more information and reservations, you can visit the Borgotaro IGP mushroom website at the following link:
http://www.fungodiborgotaro.com/ita/calendario/evento.jsp?codice=377
"The Mushroom of Borgotaro" - commented Roberto Dellapina, president of the Consortium - "is the true wealth of the Val di Taro, an excellence of our territory known since the 1800s that makes us proud all over the world. From this year the number of members of our supply chain and the mushroom collection area will increase, today over 60 thousand hectares. Another important novelty, as a guarantee for all our consumers, is that from 2016 the Borgotaro Mushroom will also be certified IGP dried, which will allow us to expand the market both in space and over time, arriving to offer our porcini also on European and international markets".
"We are very satisfied " – said Pietro Bonato , General Manager and CEO of CSQA – "that the Borgotaro Mushroom Protection Consortium has chosen us to certify a product with a strong identity of the Italian territory such as the Borgotaro Mushroom, known throughout the world and the only non-cultivable fruit and vegetable product to have the Protected Geographical Indication in all of Europe. Furthermore, with this new Made in Italy excellence, the number of products rises to almost 60 DOP and/or IGP certificates from our body in Italy" .
Rome, September 14, 2016