QUALITALY 138

Januar y/Februar y 2024 V MAGAZINE contribute to spreading a brand that will gain great recognition in Italy and beyond”. THE MUSHROOM AS A SYMBOL OF THE TERRITORY Another point of view on the market comes from Francesco Azzolini , owner and salesman of Asiago Food, a company that has been active in the sector for more than 30 years, with two companies in Bulgaria. “They are two different harvesting points, positioned at two different altitudes so as to have a diversification of the product,” Azzolini explains, “in this way we follow the complete supply chain since, afterwards, the semi-finished product arrives directly at Asiago Food for the final stage and marketing. Interest on the part of the Horeca is always high, especially in the autumn and winter seasons, and they are also looking for a product that is able to respect natural parameters, despite the processing: “The network of distributors allows us to satisfy requests effectively in different areas,” the owner points out, “to add that we are asked for a product that has all the characteristics of a fresh mushroom, even if processed. To simplify, restaurateurs want to serve their customers the type of porcini that, if harvested fresh, it could be their own product and territorial identity’. Asiago Food’s strength lies precisely in the synthesis of these requests, i.e. the ability to receive fresh materials at origin, make a careful selection of the various types, and then propose them in the various relevant markets. QUALITY IN HARVESTING Demand from the Horeca sector is concentrated more from September until December, with varying numbers depending on the cities and their location, without forgetting that, in general, the desire to eat mushrooms diminishes in coastal areas. “Mushroom picking starts from the end of June until November in our centres; however, we are linked to weather conditions, to rainy and warmer periods, so the harvest periods can fluctuate. Seasonality and climatic vagaries, but it is essential to manage the harvest well because, if the mushroom remains in the forest for several days, there is a greater risk that it will be naturally affected by parasites, thus detracting from the quality during processing. PROVENANCE AND PRICES ‘From year to year, harvests may vary, but what must be remembered is that in Italy, harvesting porcini mushrooms for market purposes is practically impossible,’ explains the owner of Asiago Food. The restrictions are very strict and the quantities allowed are limited to meeting either domestic needs or a small local economy. Generally speaking, it can be said that 90 per cent of the porcini that are sold fresh in Italy come from Eastern Europe. This is also the starting point for the whole question of prices, which always change according to seasonality and quantity: the more product there is available, the more the cost of fresh goes down. In 2023, in general, prices increased by about 12 per cent compared to the previous year, an increase due, first and foremost, to climatic issues’. CIC GROUP COHESION Asiago Food is also part of the brand project active from September 2023. Four products were presented: 500g porcini lamella in a box, a mixed mushroom, diced porcini and a breaded porcini lamella. “This is an interesting project in a tight-knit group involving both domestic and foreign countries,” Azzolini concludes. “We operate as a distributor throughout Europe and are able to guarantee delivery within seven days of ordering in all Italian regions”. AT PAGE 24 DID YOU KNOW? The doggy bag becomes compulsory A BILL TO SUPPORT THE FIGHT AGAINST FOOD WASTE HAS BEEN PRESENTED IN PARLIAMENT. FOR MANAGERS, PENALTIES RANGING FROM 25 TO 125 EURO ARE EXPECTED. BUT FIPE RAISES SOME CONCERNS by Manuela Falchero Enhancing the level of service provided to customers by the catering industry, all in the clear and tangible perspective of sustainable transition. This is the heart of the proposed law, presented by Giandiego Gatta , Forza Italia deputy and national head of the Italian party’s fishing and