Italy's quality foods are more buoyant than ever, national statistics institute Istat said on Friday.
''Farmers and food craftsmen are earning more quality seals than ever from the European Union,'' Istat said.
''The sector is in excellent health''.
Istat confirmed that Italy has earned more laurels than any other country in the two main specialty food categories, Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) and Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), which is a notch higher than the other one.
The ''two prime sources of excellence'', Istat said, were fruits, vegetables and cereals, and extra-virgin olive oil.
But cheeses and meats weren't far behind, it said.
Just last month Italy added two more notches to its quality-food belt: a prized sweet chestnut from the region of Cuneo in the Italian north-west and a white asparagus native to the Bassano area north of Venice.
The 'Castagna di Cuneo' chestnut won a PGI seal while the 'Asparago Bianco di Bassano' went one better by earning a PDO label.
Some weeks previously another pair, rice from Biella north of Turin and an orange from Puglia's Gargano peninsula, were recognised as special products.
The 'Riso di Baraggia Biellese' got a PDO while the 'Arancia del Gargano' picked up a PGI.
The EU seals of approval are aimed at protecting genuine products from inferior clones.
The EU now recognises the quality of almost 800 food products. These carry not only the PDO or PGI labels but also the Traditional Speciality Guaranteed (TSG) label.
About a quarter of the EU quality products are Italian, the most of any member state.
France is second with 20% but Italy has been steadily pulling away over the last few months.
Other recent Italian additions to the list include hazelnuts and chestnuts from Viterbo north of Rome, the classic 'Ascoli olive' - a crunchy olive au gratin from the Marche city - and crisp apples from the northern Val di Non region.
Three other regional specialities, Rieti chestnuts, Tuscia olive oil from northern Lazio and Genoese basil - a key ingredient in Genoa's world-famous pesto sauce - also joined Italy's roll of honour.
Past winners of prize badges have included Rome's ricotta cheese, saffrons from l'Aquila in Abruzzo and Tuscan pearl San Gimignano, fatty bacon (lardo) from Colonnata near Florence, and honey from the Lunigiana region of northern Tuscany with a PDO label - the first Italian honey to win such recognition.
Other recent Italian gains have been five top olive oils, bergamot flavouring, Roman suckling lamb or 'abbacchio' and goose salame from Mortara near Pavia.
Quality certificates have also been awarded to prickly pears grown on Mt Etna and the tiny but tasty Pachino tomato from another part of Sicily.
Buffalo mozzarella from the region around Naples has also earned protection.
A raft of products are still lined up for EU seals of approval, including artichokes from the Ancient Greek site at Paestum south of Naples.
