EU PDO Cheeses Make Americans Fall in Love, European Cheese Quality Debuts to Promote PDO Excellence

Promoted by Granlatte cooperative and co-financed by the European Union, the project highlights the quality, authenticity, safety, and sustainability of European cheese certified by the PDO label.

Launched at the Summer Fancy Food Show 2025 in New York, the EU Dairy: Integrated Supply Chain & High-Quality USA (European Cheese Quality) project officially begins. Promoted by Granlatte, the largest milk producers' cooperative in Italy, that controls Granarolo S.p.A., the most important Italian dairy company, and co-financed by the European Union (EU), the project aims to raise awareness among U.S. consumers—who are increasingly attentive to product origin and taste— of PDO-certified EU cheeses, other aged European cheeses including Quattrocento, goat cheese, sheep cheese, mixed cow/sheep cheese, and also UHT mascarpone, and cheese snacks.

The launch featured an exclusive four-hands showcooking event with chefs Giovanni Siracusa and Silvia Barban, who demonstrated the versatility, quality, and flavor of PDO-certified European cheeses and Mascarpone UHT through four original and contemporary recipes.

European Cheese Quality: let’s discover European tradition and excellence in cheeses

Running from 2025 to 2027 under EU Regulation No. 1144/2014 - Call AGRIP-SIMPLE-2024-TC-AMERICAS, the European Cheese Quality will focus on the United States. The project is implemented by Granlatte, the proposing client, in synergy with the brands involved: Granarolo, Podda, Mario Costa, Pinzani and Amalattea, and it includes a broad calendar of activities to promote high-quality European dairy products, in particular aged cheeses and cheese snacks.

It features ten cheese specialties that represent the best of European tradition, with a strong emphasis on dairy excellence: from Parmigiano Reggiano PDO to Grana Padano PDO, from Gorgonzola PDO to the great Pecorino cheeses – Romano PDO, Sardo PDO and Toscano PDO – as well as Caciocavallo Silano PDO, Quattrocento, Mascarpone UHT and Cheese Snacks. Authentic ambassadors of taste, symbols of controlled supply chains and territories that tell their story through flavor, these products have always been undisputed protagonists in kitchens worldwide, transforming every dish into an extraordinary culinary experience of authenticity and pleasure.

The European Cheese Quality is not just a promotional project – it’s a cultural journey through taste, tradition, and sustainability. From environmental respect to animal welfare and local identity, it’s a European story ready to be told, celebrated, and savored on American tables.

Americans, all in love with European cheese!

Americans love cheese, that’s it: USDA data[1] (Dairy: World Markets and Trade Report) confirms this trend, showing a high per capita cheese consumption of approximately 41 pounds in 2024 – positioning the U.S. as the world’s second largest cheese consumer. 

But what kinds of cheese do they prefer? Definitely, European ones. According to the Food & Beverage Market Entry Handbook: The United States 2024[2], many consumers of imported cheeses show a preference for both hard and soft cheeses, which have a long history and tradition and are considered a gourmet delicacy around the world. Among European Excellences, Parmigiano Reggiano[3] and Grana Padano[4], whose exports to the U.S. has grown by +13.4% and +10.5% respectively in 2024, rank first among American consumers’ preferences. Also, Pecorino Romano is performing well, with the latter particularly appreciated in authentic Italian cuisine.

Look for the PDO label. A guarantee of quality, health, and sustainability

The Protected Designation of Origin, better known by its acronym PDO, is a European quality label that identifies a product originating from a specific place, whose characteristics and qualities depend essentially or exclusively on a particular geographical environment and the natural and human factors associated with it, and that is entirely produced within that specific area.

Its goal is to protect the quality standards of agri-food products, safeguard traditional production methods, and provide consumers with clear information about the features that give added value to these products. This rich set of consumer information is guaranteed by adherence to detailed production specifications and is “overseen” by the related official Protection Consortia.

To obtain PDO recognition, products must guarantee consumers:

• a superior level of quality and nutritional value (Quality)
• thorough and certified control over raw materials and every stage of the production process (Safety & Traceability)
• greater sustainability for producers, communities, and consumers (Sustainability).

All of this while preserving the traditional craftsmanship and rich history that make these products unique and captivating.