The Italian government is preparing to approach South Korean officials about introducing a concession that will allow Parmesan cheese to be imported into the Asian country.


South Korea has placed a ban on the import of all dairy products, and as the World Cup approaches the ban is threatening to leave Italian football stars stranded abroad with spaghetti but no cheese.


Italian embassy officials point to the concessions already made that allow the import of Swiss cheeses such as Gruyère and Emmental, and argue that a similar allowance should be made for Parmesan.


Officials from the EU in Brussels are expected to challenge Korea’s import ban in February.