Gorgonzola PDO is also gaining increasing traction online, establishing itself as the Italian food product with the highest percentage increase in online searches over the past decade. This is confirmed by research by Affidabile.org, which analyzed the trend in visits to the Wikipedia pages of 99 Italian PDO and PGI products between 2016 and 2025. The study examined five specialties from each region, selected from those with the longest registration history. Over this period, searches for Gorgonzola PDO increased by 1.531%, placing the famous blue cheese ahead of all other products examined.
Visits increased from an average of 378 per month in 2016 to 6.161 in 2025, with peaks of over 9.300 monthly visits recorded in 2020 and 2023. These numbers confirm growing consumer curiosity and increased attention to the origin, characteristics, and production methods of one of Italy's most renowned agri-food products. Gorgonzola PDO is the most popular Italian blue cheese in the world and the fifth most important certified product in Italy. The Consortium for the Protection of Gorgonzola PDO is unsurprisingly pleased with the research findings, considering the work done in recent years to strengthen the designation's digital presence.
Since the 2015 Milan Expo, the Consortium has intensified its online activities, focusing not only on brand awareness but also on the quality and accuracy of information provided to the public. Targeted international campaigns and authoritative testimonials have helped explain the significance of the PDO certification and clarify some still little-known aspects.
One of the main concerns concerns the very use of the word "Gorgonzola," which cannot be used to generically refer to any blue cheese. The name identifies a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), subject to precise production rules and tied to a specific territory. As the Wikipedia page dedicated to the product also points out, it is incorrect to use the term to describe any blue cheese, and if confusion arises during sales, it could constitute commercial fraud.
Online information thus becomes an important tool to help consumers recognize authentic products and understand their value. Gorgonzola DOP is made exclusively with fresh, pasteurized cow's milk from farms in the area of origin. Its characteristic bluish veining comes from the marbling process, achieved by adding selected Penicillium spores to the milk.
Another important consumer information concerns the rind, which is inedible and must therefore be removed. Providing accurate information is one of the primary goals of the Gorgonzola Cheese Protection Consortium, founded in 1970 in Novara. The organization protects, enhances, and promotes the PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) cheese, explaining its organoleptic, nutritional, and culinary characteristics.
Alongside its gastronomic dimension, Gorgonzola is also a historical one, the product of a centuries-old artisanal tradition. As with all 331 certified Italian agri-food products, this specialty finds its identity in its inextricable connection to a specific geographical area. The production area encompasses Lombardy and Piedmont, where a supply chain of approximately 1.800 farms operates.
These producers supply the milk used by dairies, helping to sustain an economic and production system deeply rooted in local communities. The most recent data also show significant growth in volumes, with production surpassing the all-time record of 5,4 million wheels per year. The economic value generated through consumption is estimated at approximately €800 million, confirming the designation's importance in the national dairy industry. Nearly 40% of production is destined for foreign markets, where Gorgonzola PDO continues to consolidate its presence.
Germany and France are currently the main purchasing countries, but international interest is expanding to a growing number of markets. The increase in online searches therefore appears closely linked to the growing diffusion of the product outside Italy and consumers' desire to understand its origin and quality.
For the Consortium, digital success also represents a responsibility, because popularity must be accompanied by effective communication that distinguishes the certified product from imitations. The surge in searches thus becomes a further indicator of the strength of Gorgonzola PDO, increasingly recognizable not only on tables and in international markets, but also in online media.
