Valorizzazione dei prodotti alimentari del territorio attraverso la loro caratterizzazione salutistica

Valorisation of local food products by the characterization of their health-promoting properties. Typical local food products play a very important economic role, in particular in Italy, where food processes and products are highly diversified, not only at the regional scale, but also within the same province and municipality. The valorisation of such processes and products, often obtained by quality marks, i.e. PDO, PGI, TSG, TAP, can be further prosecuted through their nutritional and nutraceutical characterization. Knowledge of the heath-promoting features of peculiar local foods can be utilized for its diversification and marketing. Tuscany is rich in local and traditional food products, from PDO pecorino cheese to PDO Lunigiana honey, from PDO Garfagnana and Lunigiana chesnut flour to PGI Garfagnana spelt flour IGP, from PGI Sorana bean to Pratomagno “zolfino” bean, from mountain blueberry to white truffle, from PDO Tuscan bread to different PDO extra-virgin olive oils. Here, we discuss the available means for their further characterization from a health-promoting point of view, aimed at pursuing their diversification and valorisation.