Tenuta Santa Elisabetta

A traditional salami produced in Italy's Marche region has become the latest Italian food speciality to obtain a European Union protected label for its unique quality.

The 'Ciauscolo' salami was awarded a PGI(Protected Geographical Indication) seal by the European Commission on Monday along with Spain's 'Pan deCrus de Ciudad Real'bread and the Portuguese potato 'Batata dolce de Aljezur'.

Some 850 European products have been awarded one of the EU's three protected origin laurels, which aside from the PGI include the PDO (Protected Denomination of Origin) and the TSG (TraditionalGuaranteed Speciality).

Although it originated in the Marche region, in the province of Macerata, 'Ciauscolo' is now also made in the neighboring Umbria region.

Italy far out distances France and Spain for the number of its products which have qualified for one of the three EU quality seals, about 180.

Recent additions included Sicily's 'Pagnotta del Dittaino' bread with a PDO label; Roman suckling lamb, abbacchio romano,which has earned a PGI label; and Modena's balsamic vinegar from Modena is set to win a PGI label.

Italian culinary glories like Parmigiano, buffalo mozzarella, mortadella, lardo di Colonnata, Ascoli olives, pesto sauceand Pachino plum tomatos have been protected for some time but lesser-known munchies like Mt Etna prickly pears and Paestum artichokes have also swelled the ranks along with saffron from San Gimignano and L'Aquila.

A range of salamis, rices, honeys and nuts arealso on the protected list.

Some other notable recent Italian entries have been: a golden tench from Piedmont, the Tinca Gobba Dorata, which got a PDO; salty anchovies from the Ligurian Sea, which got a PGI; the Casatella cheese from Treviso, which got a PDO; a spring onion from Nocera Inferiore, which gota PDO; a chestnut from Rocca daspide, also in Campania, which got a PGI; breadfrom Matera in Basilicata, which got a PGI; an onion from Tropea in Calabria,which got a PGI; and a salame from Sant'Angelo in Sicily, which also got a PGI.

Several up-and-coming regional wines have earned TGIs.

PDO identifies a product whose characteristics are exclusively dependant on a geographical origin and whose productive phases all take place in the specified area.

PGI defines a product whose characteristics can be connected with its geographical origin and that has at least one productive phase located in the specified area.

TGS distinguishes a product, whose raw materials, composition or recipe, production method or transformation, are of a traditional type.