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DEC. JAN. 2019 III EU, political agreement on alcohol production and labelling Political agreement was reached in Brussels on new community rules for the production and labelling of spirits and for the registration and protection of alcoholic beverages registered as geographical indications in the EU. The negotiators of the Council and the European Parliament, together with the EU Commission, closed the negotiations which started in 2016. European Commissioner for Agriculture, Phil Hogan , is confident that the new “ Spirit Drink ” regulation will provide a legislative framework “able to meet the needs of the sector and to support its continuous and substantial growth”. For Hogan, the state-of-the-art standards will provide consumers with “accurate information on the methods used to produce alcoholic beverages”. Among the features of the political agreement, the guarantee of clearer labelling of alcohol and the fact that their composition will be harmonised at Union level . In addition, a register will be created by the supervisory authorities of the Member States to guarantee consumers genuine products. Finally, alcoholic beverages registered as geographical indications (from Cognac to Ouzo) will be better protected against improper use of ingredients and against the registration of similar trademarks. AT PAGE 10 Qi Partners Local tradition, global range These are the ingredients of the success built in almost half a century of activity by Maggengo Valtellina, wholesaler of food products for Valtellina and upper Lake Como By Chiara Bandini Almost 50 years have passed since Antonio Gusmeroli decided to follow his passion for the processing of milk and its derivatives by taking over a dairy, where, in addition to the sale of products of the territory of Valtellina, it was also dedicated to the maturation and distribution of typical cheeses. A happy intuition destined to mark the line of development of Maggengo Valtellina: in 2000, with the support of his wife Graziella and that of the second generation, he introduced his activity of wholesaler in the dairy sector. This increases the assortment and strengthens the seasoning activity of local and regional cheeses, which are also distributed outside the province of Sondrio. But not only. Gusmeroli also began to evaluate the introduction of mozzarella for pizzerias and the range for catering. From thought to action, thereafter, it was a short hop. In 2006, with the entry into Cooperativa Italiana Catering, the company began to serve the HO.RE.CA channel, to which it was able to offer itself as a global supplier thanks to a full range of not just food products. As explained by the founder’s son, Marco, the company manager of the commercial, purchasing and administration area, together with his sister Maria, who is responsible for the management of accounting and of the billing. Who are your main customers today? We serve the HO.RE.CA channel of Valtellina and the Como shore of Lake Como. On the supply side, to cheese wholesalers, we go to the province of Milan. How is the range structured? Due to our history and geographical location, we absolutely focus on products related to the territory. In our portfolio there is therefore a wide selection of cheeses – of which we also care for the maturation – where Bitto, Casera, Scimudin, Mascherpa and traditional dairy with raw milk stand out. A central role is then played by local cured meats, which are also complemented by the national offering. Finally, the range is completed with flours and pizzoccheri, a symbol of traditional Valtellina cuisine. Do you also supply wine? Absolutely. We offer our customers a full cellar, composed of the excellence of the mountains: Sforzato di Valtellina and Valtellina Superiore with the sub- areas Sassella, Grumello, Inferno and Valgella, and the Rosso di Valtellina Doc and the Igt Terrazze Retiche di Sondrio. In addition to local production, on which other products do you focus? With the brands Qualitaly and Tavola Viva, we are able to offer a wide range of packaged products, such as rice, oil, vinegar, chopped and peeled tomato, sauces, spices, pizza products. In addition, with the brand Mozzarella di Seriate, we distribute exclusively quality products aimed mainly at pizzerias in the province of Sondrio and in the upper Lake of Como and Lecco. But our partners also include important names in the food industry. What are, in summary, the strengths of Maggengo Valtellina? The first string to our bow is represented by a balanced relationship between quality and price: we pursue a fair compromise between the two poles, and this method has so far proved delightful. We can also count on an excellent level of service, assured also thanks to the action of our 3 exclusive representatives, who are entrusted with the task of visiting customers on a weekly basis