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Gulfood 2025 Press Releases

GRANA PADANO PDO CHEESE

Consorzio Tutela Grana Padano Hall: Hall 1 Stand: A1-34
GRANA PADANO PDO CHEESE
Grana Padano PDO (DOP in Italian) cheese - long-ageing (from 9 to over 24 months), hard cheese from Northern Italy
From February 17th to 21st, the Consorzio Tutela Grana Padano will be present at Gulfood 2025, held at the World Trade Centre in Dubai. The Consorzio will be located in the Italian Sector of the Dairy Pavilion at Stand A1-34, where they will offer daily tastings of their 16-month matured product and 20–24-month Riserva. Additionally, Chef Francesco Romano will host daily cooking demonstrations dedicated to Grana Padano, starting at 1 pm. Stefano Berni, General Manager of the Consorzio, expressed great enthusiasm about participating in this significant event, which follows their presence at Madrid Fusión in January. Berni emphasised that attending Gulfood 2025 is a strategic step in expanding Grana Padano's international presence, reinforcing its status as a symbol of "Made in Italy" excellence. Grana Padano cheese is renowned for being rich in milk nutrients, with just 30 grams providing the same nutrients as 0.5 liters of milk, while being lactose-free. It takes 15 liters of milk to produce 1 kilogram of Grana Padano, and the average weight of a wheel is 38 kilograms. The Grana Padano Protection Consortium unites 143 companies, including 122 producers managing 137 dairies, 149 maturing companies, and 197 pre-packing companies. In 2024, 5,635,142 cheese wheels were produced, a 3.27% increase from the previous year, using approximately 2,951,665.62 tonnes of milk from 3,726 farms. The entire production chain involves around 50,000 people. Exports have also been growing, with over 2,6 million wheels sold abroad in 2024, around 50% of the production. The gross saleable production of cheese in 2023 was worth EUR 3.7 billion, with EUR 1.75 billion in Italy and EUR 1.95 billion abroad. These figures confirm Grana Padano as the most consumed PDO cheese globally. The Consortium, established in 1954, ensures compliance with the original recipe and quality standards.
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