We know most of you on Toscana Mia blog are interested in buying the best Italian ingredients .And it is so difficult to identify them with security. A first suggestion is to read labels attentively and identify certified products.It doesn’t mean that if the products are without a certain labels, they are not good.Oh no! Many times they are wonderful,too ,but late in requesting the certification.Anyway certain labels can help.
The DOP brand
The protected designation of origin, better known by the acronym DOP, is a trademark for the legal protection of the denomination assigned by the European Union to foods whose peculiar quality characteristics depend essentially or exclusively on the territory in which they were produced.
The geographical environment includes both natural factors (climate, environmental characteristics), and human factors (production techniques handed down over time, craftsmanship, know-how) that, combined together, make it possible to obtain an inimitable product outside a specific productive area.
In order for a product to be DOP, the phases of production and processing must take place in a defined geographical area. Those who make DOP products must comply with the strict production rules established in the production specification
The code IGP(Protected Geographical Indication) introduces a new level of qualitative protection that takes into account the industrial development of the sector, giving more weight to the production techniques with respect to the territorial constraint. Therefore the acronym identifies a product originating from a region and a country whose qualities, reputation and characteristics can be traced back to the geographical origin, and of which at least one phase of production, transformation and elaboration takes place in the delimited area.
STG: Guaranteed Traditional Specialty does not refer to an origin but aims to enhance a traditional product composition or a traditional production method. The colors of the related brand are yellow and blue. In this group we find only mozzarella and Neapolitan pizza
These Community awards constitute a valid guarantee for the consumer, who knows how to buy quality food, which must meet certain requirements and are produced in compliance with specific regulations. They are also a protection for the producers themselves, against any imitations and unfair competition
Just to name a few ones of these products:Balsamic Vinegar , many Olive Oil, cheeses such as Asiago, Parmigiano reggiano and eight pecorino , nine prosciutto,breads such as Pane di Altamura,and Tuscan bread ,the red oranges from Sicily,cantucci from Tuscany,certain asparagus,basil and artichokes, panforte senese, san Gimignano saffron.
Toscana Mia Blog 
thanks for this explanation, it’s very helpful 🙂
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