Speck Alto Adige IGP & Asiago DOP - Guaranteed Quality

Both Asiago DOP and Speck Alto Adige IGP carry authentic European certifications that guarantee quality and symbolize the rigorous attention to detail that goes into each product. Asiago DOP cheese can be recognized by the DOP stamp of approval engraved on the edge of each Asiago DOP wheel of cheese, representing the protected designation of origin that Asiago must be produced within. Authentic Asiago DOP cheese can also be recognized by the seal of the well respected certifying body CSQA Certificazioni, indicating cheese that meets the highest production standards.

The DOP stamp of approval is the mark of the European Union. This seal guarantees the authenticity of the Asiago DOP product and the inspection of the cheese by inspectors of the independent controlling authority accredited by the Italian Ministry of Agriculture. Established in Vicenza in 1979 to ensure the quality of Asiago DOP cheese, the Consorzio Tutela ensures the accuracy of the brand, the quality of production and the authenticity of its origin. The Consorzio also regulates the packaging of Asiago cheese to ensure that the selected suppliers comply by the storage and conservation standards of Asiago DOP. Today the Consorzio Tutela Formaggio Asiago represents over 50 cheese makers and cheese seasoning workshops and works according to a quality system certified by ISO 9001/2000.

A thorough aging process and a certified inspection procedure, created in collaboration with the INEQ (Istituto Nord Est Qualita) have been formed to ensure that every Speck Alto Adige IGP ham, from every producer, has the authentic taste and quality guaranteed by the IGP seal. Only authentic Speck Alto Adige is branded with the Alto Adige IGP seal of approval, symbolizing the 22-week aging process each ham undergoes as well as the many thorough inspections and regulations the pork must exceed.

Speck Alto Adige's seal of approval begins with the initial inspection of the producer's premises. This is followed by a series of contracts that the producer must comply with, each entailing the details and regulations of the manufacturing process. Inspectors visit each Speck Alto Adige producer on an average of twice a week, taking thorough accounts of both the production of the ham as well as the final product. Only after production has been inspected and approved can the ham be branded with the Speck Alto Adige IGP seal. Currently there are 29 Speck Alto Adige producers with two producers, Recla and Senfter, already certified for export to the US market.