How to spot genuine Italian food products

We are striving hard to resolve the problem of 'Italian-sounding products', which are fake products, says Valentina Setta, Consul-General of Italy in Dubai.

dubai - The Italian pavilion at Gulfood 2018 is educating visitors about the seals of quality that the European Union assigns to food products

By Deepa Narwani

Published: Tue 20 Feb 2018, 6:53 PM

Last updated: Tue 20 Feb 2018, 8:56 PM

At Gulfood, the Italian pavilion is aiming to raise awareness about the genuineness of Italian agricultural products and is educating visitors about the seals of quality that the European Union (EU) assigns to food products. These include the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) and Protected Geographical Indication (PGI). Currently, 293 Italian products have been awarded these labels.

Valentina Setta, Consul-General of Italy in Dubai, says: "We are striving hard to resolve the problem of 'Italian-sounding products', which are fake products that don't meet the required standards and sometimes are not even manufactured in Italy. Gulfood and other such exhibitions are important for us to promote real Italian foods that hold PDO and PGI certificates by the EU. This is what we are proud to showcase at Gulfood."

Setta shares that there are some first-time exhibitors at the event along with others that are already known in Dubai with products distributed in the market. "For us, food is a very large part of our export and since Gulfood is a pivotal event, there are many companies keen to participate in the exhibition. The newcomers are happy with the response they have received so far and have already established key contacts," she says. "I believe that a good product always finds a good distributor and after some months, we notice that often products showcased at Gulfood make their way to major supermarket shelves in the UAE."

The Consul-General highlights that this year, Italy will be participating in events such as Taste of Dubai, Taste of Abu Dhabi and Speciality Food Festival. "Also, every November, the Embassy and the Trade Commission organise an event called 'The Week of the Italian Cuisine' in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, and invite Italian Michelin-starred chefs to participate. We always receive a good response from the public at these events," she adds.

- deepa@khaleejtimes.com