The Central Inspectorate for the Protection of Quality and Fraud Repression of Agri-food Products of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry has renewed the authorization, with Ministerial Decree, for CSQA to carry out controls for the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) Pane Toscano for the next three years.Pane Toscano PDO is a representative product of the rich basket of protected products of Tuscany , a region that - exclusively in the food sector - can boast 32 DOP IGP products for an economic value of €192 million generated by the work of 11,505 operators (Data from the Ismea-Qualivita 2024 Report).
Famous for its ancient method of bread-making without salt and using natural sourdough yeast, Pane Toscano DOP can now count on a supply chain of 900 tons of certified production and 52 operators capable of generating €2.6 million in production value, translated into €4.2 million in consumer value.
Since 2016, the Consortium for the Protection of Tuscan Bread PDO has safeguarded and promoted this excellence with projects that promote innovation and growth throughout the country while maintaining the qualitative characteristics of the product intact.
Among the most significant projects, the collaboration with the University of Pisa (UNIPI) and the “PANEDOPBIO” project have led to the development of solutions to prolong the freshness of Pane Toscano DOP and promote its diffusion beyond Tuscany.
Elements such as UNIPI certified mother yeast – reserved for producer members – selected flours and long leavening guarantee quality and superior shelf life .
In this perspective, the Consortium looks to modified atmosphere packaging as a future objective for expansion in extra-regional markets. Furthermore, a change to the specifications, desired by the Consortium, has introduced smaller formats, pre-sliced and packaged in “draft” and tray and suitable for consumer requests.
The reconfirmation of CSQA , a leading certification body in Italy in the sector of Geographical Indications, arises from the desire to continue a path of guarantee and trust. As Daniele Pardini, Director of the Consortium , underlines: “We are happy to renew the collaboration with CSQA, a control body that stands out for its professionalism and constant availability in dialogue with our members”.
"We are proud of the renewed trust in CSQA for the control of Pane Toscano DOP", - declares Maria Chiara Ferrarese, CSQA General Manager – "an authentic symbol of Italian food tradition and quality. This confirmation strengthens our daily commitment to promoting certified supply chains and supporting an agri-food system that makes transparency and territorial distinctiveness its strengths.
The result obtained by the Pane Toscano PDO supply chain is a clear example of how certification contributes to creating value for producers, consumers and territories."
Pane Toscano DOP confirms the value of the portfolio of PDO PGI products certified by CSQA , which currently includes 81 Geographical Indications : a figure that underlines the desire to increasingly support the development of quality agri-food supply chains, a symbol of Made in Italy and the vocation of the territories.