As non-profit organisations all consortia have made it their business to observe and follow the regulations for milking and the manufacturing of the cheese.
The milk used for production must be from the designated area of origin. It is forbidden to use milk for a PDO cheese from cows of a farmer not under contract.
Each consortium has exact regulations governing the feeding programs for cows, which milk is used for production at which point in time, and how the production and maturation of cheese in dairies is to take place. Supvervision is extended to the point of sale.
The philosophy of the consortia Grana Padano and Parmigiano Reggiano is: the cheese is not produced, it is created.
Plagiarism, in the form of imitations, is strictly persecuted and all steps are taken to enact a ban.
To ensure the trade and consumers can recognize which quality and maturation or other features the individual cheese has, the consortia use different trademarks and seals of quality.
The most important consortia for V.I.P. ITALIA and their geographic locations are:
