European Cheese Quality and PDO Cheeses Captivate the U.S. Market: A Year of Visibility, Taste, and Authentic Flavor
February 19, 2026 | 4 min to read
More than 13 million reach through media, influencers, social media, and strategic events:
The European PDO cheeses enchanted US end-users and professionals.
New York — A year of European taste and flavor in the US Market. Over 1.2M views and interactions on IG profile, more than 10M users reached via media relations, and a dedicated website, 1.2M followers reached through the influencer’s content. In addition, five strategic events were successfully delivered throughout 2025. The European Cheese Quality project—the EU initiative dedicated to PDO cheeses—now concludes its first year in the United States with tangible results, strengthening the visibility and recognition of European Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) cheeses across the U.S. market.
Promoted by the Granlatte cooperative and co-funded by the European Union under Regulation (EU) No. 1144/2014, European Cheese Quality has adopted an integrated approach from the very beginning, combining on-the-ground presence, trade-focused initiatives, digital communication, influencer engagement, media relations, and a dedicated web platform. The goal has been to build a clear and authoritative narrative around the values of certified-quality European cheeses.
Over the first year, the project established a strong presence at some of the most important reference events for the food & dairy sector in the United States. Participation in strategic trade shows such as the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago, the International Dairy Deli Bakery Association (IDDBA) Show in New Orleans, and the Summer Fancy Food Show in New York enabled direct engagement with operators, buyers, and industry professionals. In particular, the showcooking events held in New York in collaboration with GialloZafferano played a key role in showcasing the versatility of European PDO cheeses and their use in contemporary cuisine, bringing American audiences closer to European food culture through an accessible and practical storytelling approach.
Alongside on-site activities, European Cheese Quality made a significant investment in digital communication, recognizing its central role in informing and inspiring consumers. Content developed during the first year had a strong educational focus, presenting European cheeses in all their dimensions: from sensory characteristics to culinary uses, from ingredient pairings to recipe ideas designed both for special occasions and everyday enjoyment.
Collaborations with influencers, creators, and chefs further strengthened this narrative, highlighting the texture, versatility, and distinctive qualities of European PDO cheeses in an authentic way, aligned with American consumption habits. The results speak for themselves: the influencer’s content reached 1,200,000 followers.
Media relations represented another key pillar of the project’s strategy. Through the distribution of press releases and dedicated editorial content, European Cheese Quality enhanced its visibility across U.S. trade and lifestyle media, contributing to greater awareness of certified origin, food safety, and sustainability values associated with European products. Overall, press office activities reached 10 million readers.
The project’s official website, www.europeancheesequality.com, was developed as an informational and cultural hub, featuring institutional content, insights into European certification systems, product information, and updates on campaign activities. Designed to guide consumers, professionals, and media through the European PDO system, the platform offers clear, reliable, and accessible resources.
The first-year results confirm European Cheese Quality as not only a promotional initiative, but also an educational and cultural project. In a market where European cheeses are widely appreciated yet often imitated, the ability to explain what makes a product authentic, certified, and deeply connected to its territory represents a strategic value on which the project will continue to build in the years ahead.
About EUROPEAN CHEESE QUALITY
EU Dairy: Integrated Supply Chain & High-Quality USA (The European Cheese Quality) is a three-year European information and promotion project (2025-2027), co-financed by the European Union under EU Regulation No. 1144/2014 – Call AGRIP-SIMPLE-2024-TC-AMERICAS and Granlatte, an Italian agricultural cooperative, bringing together around 500 dairy farmers across 11 Italian regions. Granlatte supplies around 900 million liters of milk per year to the Granarolo Group, ensuring full control over the production chain with a strong focus on sustainability and animal welfare. The initiative aims to enhance the visibility and recognition of high-quality European Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) cheeses and snacks among U.S. consumers, highlighting their distinctive origin, flavor, and sustainable production.
About The Granlatte-Granarolo Group
The Granlatte-Granarolo Group represents the most important Italian milk supply chain directly participated by 475 producers associated in cooperative form, with 15 production plants in Italy and 8 abroad: 2 in France, 3 in Brazil, 1 in New Zealand, 1 in Germany and 1 in the United States. It has an organisation for the collection of raw materials at the farms with around 100 tankers, 500 distribution vehicles, which move 900 thousand tonnes/year and serve around 50 thousand points of sale every day at which 20 million Italian families buy Granarolo products.