GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ attempt by Parmigiano Reggiano and Loblaw Companies Ltd. to crack the most Parmigiano Reggiano wheels simultaneously

Parmigiano Reggiano Parmigiano Reggiano and Loblaw Companies Ltd. partner to break their own GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title in the cracking of more than 1,800 wheels at over 450 grocery stores across Canada TORONTO, June 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On Saturday, June 14th at exactly 12:00 PM noon, an extraordinary GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS attempt will take place as Parmigiano Reggiano and Loblaw Companies Ltd. (TSX:L) aim to achieve the record for Most Parmigiano Reggiano wheels cracked simultaneously (multiple venues). With over 450 Loblaw Companies Ltd. stores participating across Canada, this event will showcase the traditional way of cracking a Parmigiano Reggiano wheel and highlight the rich culture behind Italy’s “King of Cheese” during Italian Heritage Month.

With hundreds of cheese lovers, chefs, and consumers expected to be in attendance, Parmigiano Reggiano and Loblaw Companies Ltd. will be attempting to break their own record set in 2014, when more than 1,000 Parmigiano Reggiano wheels were cracked open at once. Attendees will have the chance to sample freshly cut Parmigiano Reggiano cheese in-store, learn about why Parmigiano Reggiano is a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) certified product, and participate in unique photo opportunities at select store locations. The hero location for this event will be at Loblaws Maple Leaf Gardens (60 Carlton St) in downtown Toronto, from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM, where there will be 20 Parmigiano Reggiano wheels cracked live. Representatives from The Consortium of Parmigiano Reggiano, Loblaw Companies Ltd., and celebrity chef David Rocco will also be in attendance.

WHAT: Parmigiano Reggiano is partnering with Loblaw Companies Ltd. to attempt to break the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title for the Most Parmigiano Reggiano wheels cracked simultaneously (multiple venues). Opportunities for attendees to sample freshly cracked Parmigiano Reggiano and learn about the history of the “King of Cheese.” Unique photo opportunities. WHO: Representatives from The Consortium of Parmigiano Reggiano Official adjudicator(s) from Guinness World Records Representatives from Loblaw Companies Ltd. Celebrity chef and Parmigiano Reggiano brand ambassador, David Rocco Local culinary influencers WHEN: Saturday, June 14th, 2025, from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM (EST) WHERE: Loblaws Carlton Street, 60 Carlton St, Toronto, ON, M5B 1L1 *For specific Loblaw Companies Ltd.

store locations in cities participating across Canada, please reach out to the contacts below. Media Interviews: For any media requests, please contact Sierra LeBlanc at [email protected] or Dania Massara at [email protected]. Kindly let us know if or when you would like to join. If you are unable to make it on event day, we are happy to arrange an interview with a representative from The Consortium of Parmigiano Reggiano or Loblaw Companies Ltd. to discuss the event.

We can also arrange b-roll and photography. Story Continues About The Consortium of Parmigiano Reggiano The Consortium of Parmigiano Reggiano is the protection body that includes all Parmigiano Reggiano producers who process the milk from the farmers of the Area of Origin (that includes only the Italian provinces of Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, Bologna to the left of Reno river, and Mantua to the south of Po River) into this PDO cheese complying with the Specifications. It was set up in 1934 and has the purpose of protecting, defending and promoting the product, safeguarding its typicality and disseminating its knowledge worldwide. Every wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano is given a mark of origin (the well-known “dots” and starting from 2002, also a “casein plate”). Furthermore, every wheel is quality tested at an age of about 12 months.

Only if the wheel passes this test, it is branded with the selection mark (oval mark). The certification of conformity with the Specifications is given by the P-R Quality Control Body on behalf of the European Union and the Ministry. Parmigiano Reggiano is one of the oldest and richest cheeses in the world. This cheese is essentially produced the same way it was nine centuries ago: using the same ingredients (milk, salt, and rennet), with the same craftsmanship and production technique that has undergone very few changes over the centuries, thanks to the decision to keep it a fully natural production without the use of additives. Its production is governed by strict Specifications, registered with the European Union, because Parmigiano Reggiano is a cheese with Protected Designation of Origin (PDO).

This means that Parmigiano Reggiano is a product that, based on its distinctive characteristics and its connection to the area of origin, is safeguarded by a system provided by the EU to protect consumers and producers alike. About Loblaw Companies Limited Loblaw is Canada's food and pharmacy leader, and the nation's largest retailer. Loblaw provides Canadians with grocery, pharmacy, health and beauty, apparel, general merchandise, financial services and wireless mobile products and services. With more than 2,500 corporate franchised and Associate-owned locations, Loblaw, its franchisees, and Associate-owners employ more than 220,000 full- and part-time employees, making it one of Canada's largest private sector employers. Loblaw's purpose – Live Life Well® – puts first the needs and well-being of Canadians who make one billion transactions annually in the company's stores.

Loblaw is positioned to meet and exceed those needs in many ways: convenient locations; more than 1,100 grocery stores that span the value spectrum from discount to specialty; full-service pharmacies at nearly 1,400 Shoppers Drug Mart® and Pharmaprix® locations and close to 500 Loblaw locations; PC Financial® services; affordable Joe Fresh® fashion and family apparel; and four of Canada's top-consumer brands in Life Brand®, Farmer’s Market™, no name® and President's Choice®. View Comments