After graduating in law from the Università del Sacro Cuore in Milan, he attended the first edition of the Level I Master’s Degree in Food Culture at the University of Bologna, acquiring the title of “Specialist in the promotion of food and gastronomic heritage”.
He has given lectures, seminars and courses on legal instruments for the protection of typical products at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia as part of the Master’s degree in ‘Valorisation of Agri-Food and Wine and Food Specialities’ and at the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo as part of the master’s degree in “Gastronomic Sciences and Quality Products”. He also taught courses in “Gastronomy” and “International Gastronomy” at the San Raffaele Telematic University.
He regularly lectures on the same subject at the University of Bologna as part of both the Master’s Degree in “Food Safety Lawyer and Consultant” (directed by Prof. Filippo Briguglio) and the Master’s Degree in “Food History and Culture” (directed by Prof. Massimo Montanari), as well as at various technical colleges, the International Academy of Tourism and Hospitality in Cernobbio (Como) and at various Confagricoltura locations.
Currently co-director of the course in ‘Gastronomic Culture and Sustainability’ at ALMA, he is co-author of the books ‘Caseus – The Great Book of Italian Cheeses’ and “Food Law – Protecting Creativity in the Kitchen’ and has collaborated with Arnoldo Mondadori Editore, for whom he has revised several texts, including the “Grande Enciclopedia Illustrata della Gastronomia” (Great Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Gastronomy) and the “Atlante dei Prodotti Tipici – I Formaggi” (Atlas of Typical Products – Cheeses).
He assisted the Castel del Rio Chestnut Growers’ Consortium in the process of amending the production regulations for Marrone di Castel del Rio PGI and, on behalf of the Sila Potato PGI Protection Consortium, he is following the process for updating the production regulations for this product. He is also a consultant to the Trentino Salumi Producers’ Consortium (on behalf of which he is handling the application for recognition of “Carne Salada del Trentino” as a PGI) and, on behalf of the Consorzio di Tutela della Cinta Senese (Consortium for the Protection of Cinta Senese), he is managing the approval procedure for the labelling of both Cinta Senese PDO and composite, processed or transformed products that boast its presence, as well as the procedures for amending the specifications.
For over 10 years, he has been chairman of the Appeals Committee set up within CSQA Certificazioni s.r.l. to assess appeals against sanctions for “non-compliance” imposed by this control body on entities involved in the PDO and PGI product supply chains and subject to its supervisory powers.