PARMALAT How the Milk Spilled

Tanzi was a young man of 22, when he inherited the family business that was started by his grandfather. "Tanzi Calisto e Figli - Salumi e Conserve" (Tanzi Calisto & Sons - Cold Cuts and Preserves), produced processed foods like seasoned ham, cured meat and tinned tomatoes. Tanzi, who had a strong entrepreneurial streak, was not satisfied with simply running the family business and decided that he wanted to explore new products and markets to help the business grow. On a trip to Switzerland, he noticed a carton of milk on a super market shelf and decided that the route to success was through milk. He set up a pasteurization plant near Parma to produce milk and sell in the areas surrounding the town.

In 1963, the name 'Parmalat' was given to the company and the milk was also marketed under the same name. (Parmalat meant 'milk from Parma', latte being the Italian for milk. Parma was well known as a center for culinary excellence in Italy, and Tanzi capitalized on this reputation). Parmalat was the first branded milk to be produced in Italy and became hugely successful. Over the years, the company expanded operations to other areas of Italy, and Parmalat soon became a national brand.