The strength of Made in Italy is based on an invisible pillar: food certification and a controlled supply chain . Even before it was even discussed in Italy, CSQA was founded more than 35 years ago, the first Italian accredited food body: every day, 300 employees and 500 field experts inspect thousands of products (we now have 130,000 operators).
There are nearly 24,000 certified Italian products of excellence, 331 of which are PDO and PGI , with a production value exceeding €9.6 billion . Of these, 82 are guaranteed by CSQA , whose certification combats unfair competition and protects consumers.
How does a quality mark come about? To obtain PGI or PDO recognition, it is necessary to demonstrate that the designation has been in use for at least thirty years and that certain quality characteristics are directly linked to the area of origin.
"It's a work of historical and scientific reconstruction: we need documents, photographs, recipe books, and testimonials that prove the product's continued use and uniqueness," someone following this process step by step explains to Moneta. It starts with historical and documentary verification, then a promotion committee is formed, a territory is defined, and a technical specification is drawn up, a sort of "identity card" for the product. "DOP and IGP aren't just reassuring labels: they are guarantee systems," explains Maria Chiara Ferrarese, general director and CEO of CSQA , "that come into effect before purchase, not after the problem occurs. It's ex ante protection, which reduces risk even before the product is in your cart."
Especially for foreigners, there are products that "sound Italian" but are not Italian. According to the Ismea-Qualivita 2025 Report , DOP and IGP exports reached 12.3 billion euros (+8.2%), with certified food exceeding 5 billion for the first time (+12.7%) and denomination wine reaching 7.19 billion, equal to 88% of all national wine exports. Over the course of a decade, exports of the DOP and IGP food sector alone have grown by 91%. Italy is the first country in the world for the number of recognized geographical indications: 897 products, ahead of France (775), Spain (393) and Greece (283).
"But the average consumer has very few tools to orient themselves. The DOP and IGP certification provides clarity because it guarantees where a product actually comes from , protects the name from improper use, and defends a history, a unique culture, and a territory. It doesn't just protect health or quality: it also protects and simplifies information," the manager emphasizes. Once recognition is achieved, monitoring compliance with the specifications is entrusted by the Ministry of Agriculture (MASAF) – through the Central Inspectorate for Quality and Fraud Prevention – to accredited bodies such as CSQA. On the export front, the American market (with 122%) remains the main outlet, but also the most critical due to tariffs.
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Source: Coin