Parmigiano Reggiano is a carrier of microbial strains that enrich the human intestinal microbiota by playing an important role as functional food in the human diet. This was stated by research published in the prestigious scientific journal Nature Communications aimed at understanding the ecological origins and composition of the microbial communities of Parmigiano Reggiano.
The research coordinated by Professor Marco Ventura and Professor Francesca Turroni of the University of Parma, is the first work that provides a very detailed image of the composition of the bacterial communities, defined in their whole microbiota, which reside in Parmigiano Reggiano, showing the existence of both ubiquitous bacterial species and differences related to the site of production.
The functions of the intestinal microbiota are fundamental for human health, in fact they enrich the immune defences, create environmental conditions within the intestine which hinder the proliferation of potentially harmful microorganisms, counteract the pathogens present in the flora. The study was conducted by the Probiogenomics Laboratory, Department of Chemical, Life and Environmental Sustainability Sciences and by the Interdepartmental Research Center "Microbiome Research Hub" and saw the participation of a research group entirely from the University of Parma.
The research has made it possible to reconstruct the microbiota of Parmigiano Reggiano in a precise way, highlighting the existence of bacteria that are transmitted from cow's milk to humans.
These bacteria also include some species of bifidobacteria, probiotic microorganisms commonly considered capable of having health benefits on humans. In essence, the research demonstrates that there is a horizontal passage of potentially "good" bacteria from cows to the final consumer.
The work opens a serious scientific debate regarding the origin of some types of bacteria considered specific to certain foods, therefore defined as food bacteria, and lays concrete scientific foundations regarding their environmental origin and their transfer through the food chain.
Parmigiano Reggiano is closely linked to its area of origin (the provinces of Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, Bologna to the left of the Reno river and Mantua to the right of the Po): it is a DOP product which owes its success to its millenary history, but also to an ideal microclimate which contributes to making the King of Cheeses unique.
The fact that it is produced without any heat treatment (Parmigiano Reggiano is a raw milk cheese that is not pasteurized), without the addition of additives and preservatives, makes it a completely natural, healthy and genuine food: with the particularity of transmitting the flavors of fodder that the cows ate.
The research is open: it can certainly be said that Parmigiano Reggiano is a food that serves to enrich our microbiota with microorganisms that have benefits on the gastrointestinal tract. But in the future we could even go further, because the presence of these microorganisms could also have further health benefits, considering the central role attributed to the intestine with regard to human well-being and health.
