Food Made in Italy and Origin of the Primary Ingredient

An European obligation to indicate the country of origin (Coo) of the primary ingredient of a food will soon enter into force. It might seem a matter of exclusive interest of the consumers and of the agricultural producers, concerning respectively the right to be informed and the right to promote the quality of raw materials. In fact, through a strategic analysis, it is possible to demonstrate that new rules in this domain might debase the value of the Italian country brand. Drawing on different disciplines, from marketing to law, this study analyses first the concept of «food Made in Italy» in all its dimensions having an economic value. Then it assesses qualitatively the regulatory risk for each single dimension thanks to an impact probability matrix. The most significant risk affects products which up to now reported the food origin on the label. But the whole image of a country as a high standard food manufacturer is at stake. Hence, exposing on the food label the origin of the primary ingredient is not a question to be undervalued, neither by legislators nor by producers.