MODENA — The State Police of Modena has arrested 11 individuals who were involved in the theft of over 2,000 wheels of Parmigiano Reggiano (Parmesan) from factories and storage depots. 

  The thefts, which took place between November 2013 and January 2015, also included 15,000 kg of frozen fish and shellfish, worth a total of €785,000. 

  “Whereas in supermarkets, it is just shoplifting done by individuals, in factories and warehouses, the thefts are done by organised gangs, who then resell it on the Black Market, without any guarantees of quality. This causes a collapse in the market prices, to the detriment of producers, who are facing a serious crisis that threatens the future of this prestigious cheese.” 

  This is all the more worrying, given that the production of fake Parmigiano Reggiano and Grana Padano surpassed the quantity of production of the original for the first time in 2014, as a result of the copies made in every continent.”