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- <text id=89TT1338>
- <title>
- May 22, 1989: World Notes:Italy
- </title>
- <history>
- TIME--The Weekly Newsmagazine--1989
- May 22, 1989 Politics, Panama-Style
- </history>
- <article>
- <source>Time Magazine</source>
- <hdr>
- WORLD, Page 52
- World Notes
- ITALY
- Passing the Taste Test
- </hdr><body>
- <p> Like the snooty appeal of the French Appellation
- Controllee, the Italian Denominazione di Origine Controllata is
- meant not only to guarantee origin and authenticity of a product
- but also to imply that a particular brand is, well, better than
- other brands. But Italy may be producing too much of a good
- thing. Originally intended as a guide to superior wines, the DOC
- stamp of approval now appears on Parmesan cheese, prosciutto
- crudo, balsamic vinegar and chestnuts, all frequent fare on
- Italian tables. Among the other items that may soon bear the DOC
- label: handcrafted ceramics, Neapolitan pasta and pizza.
- </p>
- <p> The Ministry of Agriculture says it is inundated with
- requests for the DOC label from food producers throughout the
- country. With an eye on Europe's open market of 1992, Italy's
- smaller producers are keen to receive the prestigious DOC symbol
- to help them stay competitive with multinational companies as
- they jostle each other for a slice of the European market.
- </p>
- <p> Says Antonio Pace, vice president of the Association of
- European Pizza Makers: "We want Parliament to protect the
- consumer from being cheated." From what? Not enough mozzarella?
- </p>
-
- </body></article>
- </text>
-
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