Parmigiano Reggiano may only be produced in five regions of Italy. The lion's share of production takes place in Emilia-Romagna. Milk is one of the three ingredients, along with salt and rennet.
But in the prevailing heat, the cows cannot eat much grass, which has reduced milk production by up to 10 percent, Reuters reports.
The extreme heat is affecting the quality and quantity of milk, says Nicola Bertinelli, president of the Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium, which also runs a dairy farm in the region.
At the same time, the cost of cooling storage warehouses is skyrocketing. During the hottest days of the week, daily energy consumption rose by 30 percent. Although there is no acute shortage of Parmesan cheese at the moment, producers warn that the risk exists in the event of future heatwaves.
