Parma first time under the name "Prosciutto di Parma" on the Canadian market
For Parma ham is a historic moment: With the approval of the European Parliament on the FTA CETA between the EU and Canada Parma ham must now be sold without restriction under the brand name "Prosciutto di Parma" in Canada. Products with EU protection were given a special status under the Agreement. For Parma ham this is a co-existence of the marks "Prosciutto di Parma" and "Parma". The latter has so far owned by the Canadian company Maple Leaf.
"We are pleased that our producers have finally overcome this hurdle after years of intensive efforts to protect the brand of Parma ham," said Vittorio Capanna, President of the Consorzio del Prosciutto di Parma, the Association of prosciutto manufacturers. "We have realized that after endless legal efforts to protect the brand of Parma ham by law, only a compromise solution was reached. Therefore, the two brands "Parma", below her is a dry-cured ham Canadian sold, and "Prosciutto di Parma", the Italian original, be next to each other on the market. Of course we would have preferred that under the name "Parma" only the original is sold. "
For more than twenty years had Parma ham are sold in Canada under the brand name "The Original Ham" or "Le Jambon Original". "For us that was a disadvantage," said Stefano Fanti, Director of the Consorzio del Prosciutto di Parma. "The use of the registered mark was prohibited, as advertising and promotional activities for Prosciutto di Parma. This had the consequence that the consumer was misled for years, because he had no precise knowledge regarding the quality and origin of the ham, which he bought under the name "Parma". With the signing of CETA legitimizing the name "Prosciutto di Parma" is now nothing in the way. Therefore, we will increase investments in the Canadian market. Currently we export annually about 70.000 Parma ham to Canada. "
"In this regard, we are grateful to the Italian government, the European Commission and the Italian Parliament in Brussels for their years of effort," said the Consorzio del Prosciutto di Parma.
