Copper leaching phenomena were quantitatively determined along Grana Padano (GP) and
Parmigiano Reggiano (PR) cheese making. Five different making were followed both for GP and PR. For
each cheese making quantitative data such as milk volume (GP 942±8 l; PR 991±11 l), starter volume (GP
29±1 l; PR 33±1 l) and rennet volume (GP 3±0 l; PR 3,5±0 l) were recorded before coagulation, while the mass
of cheese (GP 93±3 kg; PR 95±4 kg) and the volume of serum (GP 848±6 l; PR 899±8 l) were recorded after
coagulation. Samples of milk, starter, rennet, cheese and serum were taken and analysed by means of ICP-AES
for copper determination after microwave assisted wet digestion. The leaching of copper from the
cheese vat to cheese was then calculated. On average 0,7g of copper leaches from the cheese vat (GP
0,6±0,2g; PR 0,8±0,1g;). No statistical differences were recorded between PR cheese and GP cheese
