At the Winter Edition of the Fancy Food Show 2025 in Las Vegas, we had the opportunity to immerse ourselves in the world of the Italian food industry. In the heart of the Italy pavilion, presented as the event’s Country Partner, we met the protagonists of this fair, representatives of brands as historic as they are innovative, ready to share their passion for high-quality products and commitment to the Italian culinary tradition. Among the guests we interviewed, we had the pleasure of speaking with Mirella Galloni, representative of the historic company Fratelli Galloni, awarded for the best prosciutto in Italy. Mirella Galloni offered us a privileged look at her company’s long history and the importance of keeping the authenticity of production processes alive while integrating new technologies.
Can you briefly tell us the history of your company?
Our company is probably the oldest in the Langhirano area in the province of Parma, where the tradition of Parma ham was born. Our story begins in the early 1900s with my grandfather, who developed a great passion for ham and pig breeding. In 1938, my father, still a child, began working in the company, and in the late 1950s he founded the Fratelli Galloni company together with his brothers, distinguishing themselves by their passion for ham.
What is the secret to keeping a family legacy alive in a market dominated by multinational corporations?
The secret is to keep tradition alive without ignoring modernity. We have advanced technological content for safety and traceability, but what qualifies our ham are the traditional methods. For example, we still use salt by hand, following the characteristics of each individual thigh. Curing is done in natural air and not in air conditioning. In addition, research on raw material is essential, because without excellent raw material we cannot achieve certain levels of quality.
How are you expanding your presence in international markets, particularly in the United States?
The challenge is to prevent ham from becoming a commodity. We have to maintain consistent, high quality. We have an American import company and we work with several distributors, not only large but also small, who share our passion and desire to grow.
How is this edition of the Fancy Food Show going?
It is a small fair, but it offers great opportunities. Although logistically Las Vegas is not the most convenient location, we were able to deepen meaningful conversations and there were great networking opportunities.
What is your approach to integrating new technologies without compromising authenticity?
We are integrating many new technologies, such as traceability. We can trace the genetics of the animals each ham comes from, checking every aspect, from feeding to the age of the pig. We have developed special machines for this, always keeping the focus on authenticity.
Thank you for your time. Will we see you at the Summer Fancy Food in New York?
Indeed! Thank you for being here and I look forward to seeing you again at the Summer Fancy Food in New York, where I hope to unveil some news!
Many thanks to the Italian Trade Agency, the Specialty Food Association and Universal Marketing for hosting us at this prestigious event.
The article Fancy Food Show 2025: the Fratelli Galloni story told by Mirella Galloni comes from TheNewyorkese.
