The versatility of Buffalo Mozzarella from Campania PDO has ignited the creativity of chefs, food critics, and even fake food peddlers.

It's difficult to imitate such a sought-after product that is sensitive to environmental conditions, let alone alterations in processing phases or milk type. Buffalo Mozzarella from Campania is the third most valuable Italian cheese among PDOs, with a consumer turnover of 750 million euros.

The PDO Consortium has 80 processing members, while approximately 1300 farms have requested protected origin certification. In 2020, about 50,832 tons were produced, with 34% destined for export, primarily to France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, for a sector that employs over 11,000 people, one in three of whom are under 32, and women represent 33% of the supply chain.

Proportionately to a rapidly growing sector, with Covid-19, fake mozzarellas have also increased. It seems incredible to say, but Buffalo Mozzarella from Campania PDO, during the pandemic, was among the most counterfeited food products, as shown by the annual report prepared by the Consortium for Protection's Surveillance sector, which examines the actions taken in 2020. Hundreds of cases were detected by verification activities, and the web confirms itself as the preferred ground for violations.

However, it's not just the internet and social media. "The product surveillance activity by the Consortium's inspectors led to a total of 2361 protection actions, despite the difficulties and the pandemic lockdown," says Domenico Raimondo, President Consortium for the Protection of Buffalo Mozzarella from Campania PDO. "The vast majority of violations occur on e-commerce sites or marketplaces. 83% of fraud takes place in this context, where the implicated user often also uses social networks to promote their online sales activity.

Violations perpetrated via social media represent 31% of the total. This is a global phenomenon; in our monitoring, we found Australian, Chinese, and even European mozzarellas that contain misleading references to the genuine product. The Ministry of Agricultural Policies, particularly the central institute for quality and fraud repression, is highly vigilant. Furthermore, with other Protection Consortia, we have created a common network for the international monitoring of these phenomena, which cause economic damage amounting to millions of euros. Our commitment is to enable consumers to make informed choices."