The first exchange of experiences between the Altamura PDO and Tuscan PDO Breads took place on 8 March 2022 in Altamura. The meeting had the objective of focusing on the common aspects of difficulty and strength of the wheat supply chains intended for bread-making and to verify the possibilities of collaboration for the implementation of highly innovative projects thanks also to the synergies deriving from multidisciplinary skills at an international level.

The comparison involved a representation of farmers from Tuscany and the province of Bari, the presidents of the 2 controlled designations of origin, the director of the Altamura PDO, researchers from the Universities of Florence, Pisa, Bari and CREA. The issues that have seen the interest of the components of the two sectors converge concerned:

The link between the variety of wheat and the pedoclimatic suitability of the territory;
phosphate fertilization as an element that affects the quantity and quality of wheat, with particular regard to the relationship between the two starch components, amylopectin and amylose, a parameter capable of influencing the technological characteristics (eg: shelf life) of the finished product;
the environmental impact aspects related to cultivation, with a focus on water and carbon footprint;
baking and packaging methods aimed at conditioning the retrogradation of starch and extending the shelf life of bread, without the use of chemical additives, thanks to the optimization of the physical parameters of the process and product;
promotion / information actions aimed at raising consumer awareness of products with a traced supply chain, highlighting, on the basis of the scientific results available, the specific nutraceutical characteristics of products obtained thanks to the use of the acid mother, following appropriate operating protocols;
the desirable synergies in the marketing phase throughout the national territory, to encourage the spread of these products outside the production areas.

The conclusions of the meeting highlighted the importance of deepening the knowledge on all the techniques, agronomic, processing and packaging aimed at increasing the shelf life of bread, to better study the nutritional and health aspects related to the use of breads. DOP and the aspects of environmental sustainability to fully satisfy the demands of the new Community Agricultural Policy.