This certification mark, as used by authorized persons, certifies that the goods are produced in accordance with standards codified by the government of the Republic of Italy and adopted by the certifier, specifically (i) production methods (semi-fat cheese with hard, boiled and slowly-ripened paste, made of soured and curdled milk from diary cows fed on green or dried fodder and milked twice daily, left to rest and partially skimmed by allowing the cream to rise naturally; made throughout the year; and naturally matured in cold stores at temperatures varying from 15 degrees to 22 degrees C); (ii) characteristics (cylindrical, with sightly convex or straight flanks and slightly rimmed flat faces; diameter 35 to 45 cm. and flank height 18 to 25 cm., with allowances depending on the manufacturing technique; 24 to 40 kg. each (cheeses weighing less than 24 kg. are not accepted); dark external color, greased or natural gold-yellow; paste color is white or straw-yellow; fragrant and delicate aroma and taste; texture is finely grainy, radial scaly cut; and minimum 32% fat content in the dry matter); and (iii) regional origin (the geographic territory comprised of the Italian provinces of Alexandria, Asti, Cuneo, Novara, Turin, Vercelli, Bergamo, Brescia, Como, Cremona, Mantova on the left bank of the Po River, Milan, Pavia, Sondrio, Verese, Trento, Padova, Rovigo, Treviso, Veneto, Verona, Vicenza, Bologna on the right bank of the Reno River, Ferrara, Forli, Piacenza and Ravenna).
"D.O.C."
The mark consists of a stylized depiction of a four-leaf clover containing the term "D.O.C." and the terms GRANA and PADANO each within a diamond shape and repeated around the circumference of the goods.
GRANA PADANO DOC
The certification mark is comprised of the phrase "GRANA PADANO D.O.C." The noun "GRANA" means "grain" in the Italian language. The proper noun "GRANA" is the name of a river, a tributary of the Po River, that flows by a town of the same name situated in the Grana Valley. "PADANO" is an idiom, the approximate translation of which from the Italian is "of the Po River Valley". The Grana River and the Po River are both located in Italy. The initials "D.O.C." stand for Controlled Denomination of Origin and relate to the controlled origin of the goods.
Trademark: 78198106
