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Florence and Bologna rank first for the number of menus featuring DOP and IGP cheeses, quality labels indicating a typical high-quality Italian product. This is according to a study commissioned by Afidop, the Italian DOP Cheese Association, and carried out by GriffeShield, a digital content analysis business. The 2025 online study revealed the presence of at least one of the researched designations in 2,630 businesses, accounting for 24.4% of the assessed panel. This percentage is somewhat consistent with the 2023 study (25.3%), but it is especially noteworthy given the increased number of designations evaluated, which now includes both DOP and IGP cheeses. Overall, 8,058 items were found, with a considerable rise in the average number of hits per establishment from 2.56 to 3.06 (+20%), demonstrating Geographical Indications' enhanced visibility on online menus. Parmigiano Reggiano, Grana Padano, Mozzarella di Bufala Campana, and Gorgonzola continue to be the most popular PDO cheese designations, accounting for 78% of total content collected. However, the investigation also looked at the accuracy of the citations. A noteworthy discovery emerges: Gorgonzola receives the most attention, with 33.8% of citations fully meeting the standards. Parmigiano Reggiano (15.4%) and Grana Padano (11.3%) come next. The indication of aging remains a still limited practice, but one that is growing compared to 2023.
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