1) PRODUCTION AREA
The production area of Parmigiano Reggiano is more limited: the provinces of Parma, Reggio Emilia and Modena and part of the province of Mantua (to the right of the Po) and Bologna (to the left of the Rhine).
Grana Padano can be produced by dairies in 33 provinces between Lombardy, Veneto, Piedmont, Emilia-Romagna and Trentino Alto Adige (limited to the province of Trento and some municipalities in the province of Bolzano).
2) USE OF ADDITIVES
Parmigiano Reggiano is produced without additives: even those of natural origin are prohibited in the production specification.
Grana Padano allows the use of Lysozyme, a protein extracted from chicken egg whites to control unwanted fermentations.
3) THE FODDER
In Parmigiano Reggiano the fodder for the cows is exclusively hay and grass (alfalfa and stable meadow), without the use of ensiled or fermented fodder.
In Grana Padano the diet also includes the use of silage.
4) MATURATION
In Parmigiano Reggiano the minimum maturation is 12 months, the product can reach long maturations (24, 30 months and beyond, without limits) and consumption occurs on average for over 24 months.
Grana Padano is marked at 9 months and the average consumption is at 15 months.
5) THE STARTERS
In Parmigiano Reggiano dairies, only natural whey starter is used as a bacterial starter to strengthen the microbiological process.
In Grana Padano, lactic acid bacteria isolated in the laboratory from natural whey starters from dairies are also allowed, with a limit of 12 times a year.
6) QUALITY CHECK
In Parmigiano Reggiano the selection carried out by the Consortium during the 12-month expertization (suitability assessment) takes place on all wheels (100% quality control) while in Grana Padano the 9-month selection takes place on only part of the wheels.
7) ANNUAL PRODUCTION
In 2019, 3,754,192 wheels of Parmigiano Reggiano were produced in 321 dairies, while for Grana Padano 5,164,759 wheels were produced in 128 dairies.
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