The Embassy of Italy, in collaboration with the Italian Trade Commission in New York, presents the workshop "Italy's food safety system: beyond misinformation and false myths." The event will take place on Thursday, April 28, 2016 at 2:00 p.m. in the Auditorium of the Embassy of Italy, 3000 Whitehaven Street NW, Washington, DC 20008, and will focus on the certification processes and quality control of Italian food products.

Panelists from relevant Italian institutions and representatives from the private sector will show that Italy can count on a very efficient, trustworthy, and extensive system of controls, with strict standards and testing that guarantee the complete safety, and excellent quality, of Italian products. The conversation will also touch upon traceability and veterinary certification, and will explore how producers of some of the most renowned Italian food products – Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Parmigiano Reggiano – ensure that they meet the highest standards.

The featured speakers are: Dr. Stefano Vaccari, Head of the Department of Central Inspectorate for fraud repression of the Italian Ministry of Agriculture, Dr. Anna Beatrice Ciorba from the General Directorate for hygiene, food safety and nutrition of the Italian Ministry of Health, Mr. Manfredi Barbera, from the Consortium for the Protection of P.D.O. Val di Mazara Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and Ms. Nancy Radke, Director Emeritus of the U.S. Information Office, Consorzio del Formaggio Parmigiano-Reggiano.