FACT FOCUS: Social media falsely claims heatwave threatens Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and bank

Italy is experiencing extreme heat and social media platforms are spreading false claims that the heatwave threatens the production of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and one of the regional banks that store the cheese wheels as collateral. The Parmigiano Reggiano cheese is produced in specific regions of northern Italy using milk from local dairy cattle. The cheese wheels are aged for a minimum of 12 months, up to 40 months, and are stored in controlled environments to maintain their quality.

A bank called Credito Emiliano S.p.A’s Magazini Generali delle Tagliate (MGT) stores hundreds of thousands of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese wheels as collateral for loans. Despite claims that the extreme heat was endangering both the cheese and the bank, MGT confirmed that the cheese wheels were stored in cool storage and aging normally.

The bank's general manager, Giancarlo Ravanetti, stated that the heat had increased energy consumption for cooling the facilities by 30%, but neither the cheese nor the bank operations were at risk. MGT has been working to improve the energy efficiency of its warehouses and has invested in high-efficiency units, improved insulation, and solar power systems.

The Parmigiano Reggiano consortium acknowledged the challenge of heatwaves causing a slight reduction in milk production, but assured that Parmigiano Reggiano production is not currently at risk. The consortium emphasized that the cows are mostly fed preserved and dried forage to ensure a steady supply even during drought, and the farms supplying 70% of the milk used to make the cheese are equipped with fans, water-spraying systems, and environmental monitoring to keep the cows comfortable. The remaining milk comes from cooler hilly and mountain areas.