FACT FOCUS: Social media falsely claims heat wave threatens Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and bank

Parmigiano Reggiano Parmesan cheese wheels are stored in Noceto, near Parma, Italy, Oct. 8, 2019. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni, File)

MILAN (AP) — As Italy has been plunged into a period of extreme heat, social media accounts amplified and falsified reports about the impact on the production of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and a regional bank that stores the cheese wheels as collateral for loans.

Parmigiano Reggiano cheese is made according to strict specifications within defined geographic areas in the Emilia Romagna region of northern Italy. Milk comes from dairy cattle fed only on locally grown forage, and the wheels must be aged for a minimum of 12 months, and can continue to 24, 36 or 40 months.

To help producers manage their capital, a handful of banks accept the cheese wheels as collateral on loans during the aging process — the largest of which is the Credito Emiliano S.p.A’s Magazini Generali delle Tagliate (MGT), which has been operating since 1953.

Social media claimed that the extreme heat that swept Italy threatened both the cheese and its main cheese bank.

Here’s a closer look at the facts.

CLAIM: Extreme heat is creating a “Great Parmesan Crisis” threatening both Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and…

Original source: https://apnews.com/business