In Italy, "IGP" stands for "Indicazione Geografica Protetta", which means "protected geographical indication" in German. Similar to DOP, this seal guarantees the geographical origin and certain quality characteristics of food and agricultural products.
IGP (Indicazione Geografica Protetta):
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Geographical origin:
- The product must also come from a specific geographical region, but this can be larger than DOP.
- Geographical origin is less closely linked to the distinctive characteristics of the product.
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Production methods:
- There are specific regulations here too, but they are more flexible than with DOP.
- The traditional production methods can be deviated to some extent.
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Quality control:
- Quality control is less strict than DOP, which can result in a wider range of product qualities.
Here are some of the main IGP products from Italy:
- Provolone Valpadana (cheese from the Po Valley)
- Speck Alto Adige (South Tyrolean bacon)
- Bresaola della Valtellina (air-dried beef from Valtellina)
- Salame di Varzi (air-dried sausage from Lombardy)
- Mortadella Bologna (Bologna sausage)
- Pecorino Sardo (sheep cheese from Sardinia)
- Limone di Sorrento (lemons from the Sorrento region)
- Pomodoro di Pachino (tomatoes from the Pachino region in Sicily)
- Melanzana di Rotonda (eggplant from Basilicata)
- Aglio Bianco Polesano (White Garlic from the Polesine Region)
These products carry the IGP seal, which highlights their geographical origin and certain quality standards, but not as strictly as DOP.