ABSTRACT
More than 73% out of 13 million tonnes of milk processed in Italy in 2013 was transformed into cheeses with 56.8% of cheese milk used to produce cheeses with a Protected Designation of Origin, according to CE Regulation 1151/2012. Parmigiano Reggiano (PR), formerly called Grana Parmigiano Reggiano until 1951, and Grana Padano (GP) derived the name from their typical granular and flaky structure, as Grana in Italian means "grain". The description of properties and processing methods of PR and GP cheeses made by the official standards outlines the key factors of their quality. The lack of the identification mark, printed on the rind of PR and GP cheeses at the origin, when marketed as grated cheese or as rindless pieces, makes the risk of falsification high. PR and GP cheeses have many common characteristics and some discriminant properties; the latter mostly given by the methods of milk collection, milk management before coagulation and finally by the ripening conditions.
