Parmigiano Reggiano, one of the most famous traditional Italian cheeses in the world, has seen its exports raise also in year 2000: in the past ten years the volume has almost tripled, and in the last year the increase was also significant, especially in Japan, Spain, Denmark, Greece, Austria and United States.

In Italy Parmigiano Reggiano continues to be the 'king of cheeses', the most sold in the so-called 'hard cheese market', with a share of more than 40% on the volume total.

North West regions in particular are the greatest consumers of Parmigiano Reggiano , even if the highest product quota of all is Centre Italy.

The results of the so-called 'punte pellicolate' are indicative of Italians' consumption habits. These are the pieces of cheese which are cut and wrapped in a plastic film and placed on the gastronomy sector of supermarkets. They represent almost half of total sales.

This type has taken on, in time, a strategic position, with the ease and speed of the self-service formula and at the same time the experience of greater freshness, an image of genuineness that come from its position in the 'fresh bench', and which the consumer takes on almost a s a justification for 'not wanting to queue up' and therefore saving time.

On the other hand the price of the product thus packaged is actually cheaper than the price of the product sliced there and then, during 'assisted sales'. Even the segment of the grated Parmigiano Reggiano, despite a price which is decidedly above higher than average, shows a constantly increasing trend. The Parmigiano Reggiano, in any case, remains a market leader both in assisted sales than in the packaged segment.