DOP, IGP, STG: what the labels mean

Updated September 2, 2026

Italy has 888 geographical indications registered in the European Union in 2026, made of 330 food products, 522 wines and 36 spirits, plus 4 Traditional Specialities Guaranteed which are counted separately because they protect a recipe rather than a place.

Everything in this theme

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Abruzzo food: Navelli saffron and Sulmona confettiZafferano dell'Aquila DOP, EU-registered on February 5, 2005, Sulmona confetti made since the 15th century, and three DOCG wines led by Colline Teramane.
Agnone bell foundry: the museum next door, by bookingThe bell museum beside the Marinelli foundry in Agnone opens by booked guided tour only, at noon and 4 pm, €9 full and €5 for ages 6 to 18 (2026).
Ballarò market, Palermo: open from 7:30 amBallarò is Palermo's oldest and largest historic market, open Monday to Saturday 7:30 am to 8 pm, Sunday mostly mornings. Free entry, food not souvenirs.
Balsamic vinegar of Modena, counted in litersAceto Balsamico di Modena IGP runs to 93-95 million liters a year, more than 93% exported to over 130 countries, from 59 certified acetaie (2025 figures).
Basilicata food: Pane di Matera and a new strawberryPane di Matera IGP entered the EU register on February 22, 2008, Senise peppers on July 2, 1996, and a Basilicata strawberry IGP followed in 2025.
Bergamotto di Reggio Calabria: a DOP on the oilBergamot oil from Reggio Calabria has been a DOP since March 15, 2001, extracted cold on a coastal strip of about 100 km at Calabria's southern tip.
Calabrian food: bergamot and Tropea onionsTwo Calabrian products carry the name of the place they grow in: bergamot oil, protected since 2001, and the red onion of Tropea, registered in 2008.
Catanzaro silk: what is left, and where to see itCatanzaro's silk guild statutes date from 1519. What survives is Palazzo Marincola, a mid 19th century silk mill now home to the MARCA art museum.
Cipolla Rossa di Tropea: a town name, three provincesCipolla Rossa di Tropea Calabria has been an IGP since March 27, 2008: spring, fresh and storage onions from Cosenza, Catanzaro and Vibo Valentia.
Confetti di Sulmona: the sugared almond townPoor Clare nuns in Sulmona made confetti bouquets in the 15th century, and by 1846 the town had about twelve factories. The color code and what to buy.
DOCG, DOC and IGT: Italy's wine denominationsItaly has 79 DOCG wines, 332 DOC and 111 IGT in 2026, 522 denominations in all. Sixteen regions of twenty hold at least one DOCG, and four hold none.
Emilia-Romagna food, in production figuresParmigiano Reggiano turned over €3.96 billion in 2025 and Parma branded 6,750,000 hams. Three protected names, their dates and their real scale.
Friuli food: San Daniele ham, cured in one comuneProsciutto di San Daniele DOP, registered in 1996, can only be made inside one comune of 35 square kilometers and is cured for at least 400 days.
Grana Padano: Italy's biggest cheese by volumeGrana Padano DOP made 6,053,690 wheels in 2025, up 7.4%, about 236,180 metric tons. Roughly 2.76 million wheels were exported, about 45% of output.
Italian DOP and IGP wines: 522 in the EU registerItaly has 411 DOP wines and 111 IGP wines in the EU register in 2026, 522 in all, ahead of France with 440, Spain with 149 and Greece with 147.
Italy's DOP economy: €20.7 billion in 2024Italian DOP, IGP and STG food and wine were worth €20.7 billion at production in 2024, 19% of national agrifood turnover, with exports above €12 billion.
Italy's STG: four recipes with an EU actItaly has 4 STG registered in the EU in 2026: Mozzarella Tradizionale, Pizza Napoletana, Amatriciana tradizionale and Vincisgrassi alla maceratese.
Pane di Matera IGP: registered in 2008Pane di Matera became an IGP by EU regulation 160/2008, published February 22, 2008, with no objection filed. How it differs from Pane di Altamura DOP.
Parmigiano Reggiano: 4.19 million wheels a yearItaly made 4.19 million wheels of Parmigiano Reggiano in 2025, about 168,000 metric tons, worth 3.96 billion euro. Grana Padano made 6,053,690 wheels.
Piedmont food and wine: 19 DOCG winesPiedmont holds 19 DOCG wines, more than any other region, a UNESCO wine landscape of 10,789 hectares and a truffle fair that runs from October to December.
Prosciutto di Parma: 6,750,000 hams in 20256,750,000 Prosciutti di Parma DOP were branded in 2025, worth €810 million at production and €1.6 billion at retail. How it differs from San Daniele.
Slow Food presidia in Italy: 402 in 2026402 Slow Food presidia in Italy out of 696 worldwide (September 1, 2026). Why the foundation's page says 600, and how a presidio differs from a DOP.
South Tyrol food: Speck Alto Adige and the IGP appleSpeck Alto Adige IGP has been EU-registered since June 21, 1996 under three names, and the Alto Adige apple comes from more than 6,000 farming families.
Tuscan food: Pecorino Toscano and Chianti ClassicoPecorino Toscano DOP entered the EU register on July 2, 1996. Chianti Classico covers 70,000 hectares in eight comuni, and it is not the same as Chianti.

Foto

Abruzzo: Guido Castelli · CC BY-SA 4.0
Molise: AntoRoadlover · CC BY-SA 4.0
Palermo: Carlo Pelagalli · CC BY-SA 3.0
aceto balsamico modena: Claudio Cicali · CC BY-SA 2.0
Basilicata: Benjamin Smith · CC BY-SA 4.0
bergamotto di reggio: Unknown authorUnknown author · CC BY-SA 4.0
Calabria: Benjamin Smith · CC BY-SA 4.0
Catanzaro: Nicholas Gemini · CC BY-SA 4.0
cipolla di tropea: kajikawa · CC BY 3.0
confetti di sulmona: Superchilum · CC BY-SA 4.0
Vigneti delle Langhe: Phalaenopsis Aphrodite from Italy · CC BY 2.0
Emilia-Romagna: Carlo Pelagalli · CC BY-SA 3.0
Friuli-Venezia Giulia: Marco Del Torchio 95 · CC0
grana padano: Consorzio Tutela Grana Padano · CC BY-SA 4.0
stg italiane: CDibisceglia · CC BY-SA 4.0
Matera: Gianfranco Vitolo · CC BY 3.0
parmigiano reggiano: Marie Thérèse Hébert & Jean Robert Thibault from Québec, Canada · CC BY-SA 2.0
Piemonte: Carlo grifone · CC BY-SA 4.0
prosciutto di parma: Naturpuur · CC BY-SA 4.0
presidi slow food: Alessandro Vargiu · CC BY 4.0
Provincia Autonoma di Bolzano: Einaz80 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Toscana: Martin Falbisoner · CC BY-SA 3.0

FAQ

What is the difference between DOP and IGP?

DOP means every stage of production happens in the named area; IGP means at least one stage does, and the link to the place is looser. Italy has 174 DOP and 156 IGP foods, plus 411 DOP wines and 111 IGP wines.

How many DOP and IGP products does Italy have?

330 food products in 2026: 174 DOP and 156 IGP, wines and spirits excluded. Add 522 protected wine names and 36 spirits and the total reaches 888 geographical indications, the highest in the European Union.

What does STG mean on an Italian label?

Traditional Speciality Guaranteed protects a recipe or method, not a place, so it can be made anywhere in the EU to the rules. Italy has 4: Mozzarella Tradizionale, Pizza Napoletana, Amatriciana tradizionale and Vincisgrassi alla maceratese.

Is DOCG better than DOC?

It is a stricter tier, not a taste rating. Both sit inside the 411 Italian DOP wines: 79 carry the DOCG mention and 332 the DOC mention. DOCG adds tighter yield and ageing rules plus a state tasting before bottling.

Why do sources give different numbers of Italian protected foods?

Because they add up categories that are counted separately in the EU register. Food is 330, wine 522, spirits 36 and STG 4, and the four are not interchangeable. Any single figure between 330 and 888 is one of these slices.

Section and topics

Themes

Sources (14)

1888 · 330 · 522Commissione europea - DG AGRI, registro eAmbrosia; MASAF - Elenchi e disciplinari vini DOP e IGP; MASAF - Elenco DOP e IGP prodotti agricoli (PDF, agg. 11/06/2026) · recheck by 2027-06-30
2330 · 174 · 156MASAF - Elenco DOP e IGP prodotti agricoli (PDF, agg. 11/06/2026); Commissione europea - DG AGRI, registro eAmbrosia · recheck by 2027-06-30
3334 · 174 · 156MASAF - Elenco DOP e IGP prodotti agricoli (PDF, agg. 11/06/2026); MASAF - Elenco e disciplinari STG prodotti agricoli · recheck by 2027-06-30
4411MASAF - Elenchi e disciplinari vini DOP e IGP; MASAF - Elenco alfabetico Vini DOP (PDF, agg. 27/03/2026); Commissione europea - DG AGRI, registro eAmbrosia · recheck by 2027-06-30
5111MASAF - Elenchi e disciplinari vini DOP e IGP; MASAF - Elenco alfabetico Vini IGP (PDF, agg. 19/05/2026); Commissione europea - DG AGRI, registro eAmbrosia · recheck by 2027-06-30
636Commissione europea - DG AGRI, registro eAmbrosia · recheck by 2027-06-30
74MASAF - Elenco e disciplinari STG prodotti agricoli; Commissione europea - DG AGRI, registro eAmbrosia · recheck by 2028-12-31
8Commissione europea - DG AGRI, registro eAmbrosia · recheck by 2027-06-30
979MASAF - Elenco alfabetico Vini DOP (PDF, agg. 27/03/2026) · recheck by 2027-06-30
10332MASAF - Elenco alfabetico Vini DOP (PDF, agg. 27/03/2026) · recheck by 2027-06-30
1120,700,000,000 · 3.5% · 25%Fondazione Qualivita / ISMEA - XXIII Rapporto Ismea-Qualivita · recheck by 2027-03-31
129,640,000,000 · 7.7% · 11,040,000,000Fondazione Qualivita / ISMEA - XXIII Rapporto Ismea-Qualivita · recheck by 2027-03-31
1312,300,000,000 · 8.2% · 7,190,000,000Fondazione Qualivita / ISMEA - XXIII Rapporto Ismea-Qualivita · recheck by 2027-03-31
14183,823 · 328 · 864,441Fondazione Qualivita / ISMEA - XXIII Rapporto Ismea-Qualivita · recheck by 2027-03-31