"I too have spent my life colloquially referring to everything from the cheese I ate in Parma itself to the Kraft stuff that comes pre-grated in a canister as "Parmesan." It's what American producers BelGioioso and Polly-O call their products, and what any server asks if you'd like sprinkled on your spaghetti and meatballs. But the Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium views this as tantamount to deceit, a way to swindle innocent consumers into buying an inferior product. And the group has a plan to stop it."
"This is easy enough in the EU; Parmigiano-Reggiano is registered with a protected designation of origin, which creates government regulation and protection around food and wine products in order to preserve their traditions. In 2008 the European Court of Justice ruled that any cheese labeled "Parmesan" must be made in Italy, and in 2019 the consortium said it "strongly combats misusage of the term 'parmesan' to describe cheeses which are not the genuine Parmigiano-Reggiano.""
Grana is a style of hard, salty cheese, typically made in Italy and used grated over pasta or eaten by the chunk. Parmigiano-Reggiano is a type of grana made under strict regulations in five provinces around Italy's Po River Valley. Producers of Parmigiano-Reggiano belong to the Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium. 'Parmesan' is commonly used in America to label many different cheeses, from true Parmigiano-Reggiano to pre-grated industrial products. The consortium considers such usage deceptive and harmful to consumers. The EU protects Parmigiano-Reggiano with a protected designation of origin and courts have ruled that 'Parmesan' must be made in Italy. The consortium is pursuing branding strategies in the United States, including hiring a talent agent.
Read at Slate Magazine
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