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News

Italy: tomato paste contaminated with pesticides seized as a precautionary measure

18/06/2021 - Press release , François-Xavier Branthôme

Several hundred tonnes of Egyptian paste seized from a company in the Agro Nocerina Sarnese region

On 8 June, the Italian press revealed that the Carabinieri from the Food and Agriculture Protection Department of Salerno had recently carried out an operation “Scarlatto due”, as part of a complex investigation carried out by the public prosecutor of Nocera Inferiore.

Executing an emergency preventive customs decree, intended to prevent the introduction into the commercial circuit of products that do not comply with production requirements, the carabinieri seized a large quantity (around 820 tonnes) of semi-finished tomato products (pastes) of Egyptian origin in a company of the Agro Nocerino Sarnese region, a leader in the canning sector, valued at around EUR 1 million.

Circumstantial elements and field observations suggest that the seized products are largely contaminated by pesticides, present to a greater extent than what is legally authorized, which could in fact pose a real threat to human health.
Depending on the information available, the goods - mainly double- or triple-concentrated paste - were due to be repackaged and then put back on the market - mainly abroad. It has been established that a few hundred tonnes have already been distributed in EU and non-EU countries.

The Operation “Scarlatto due” (Scarlatto n°2) was carried out in a region that is traditionally focused on the processing of canned foods. It is part of a larger campaign for the prevention and repression of illegal behaviors in the sectors of food and agriculture, which are drivers of the national economy and become particularly vulnerable in times of crisis.
It follows another important investigation (operation “Scarlatto”, see our related articles), carried out by the Carabinieri Command for the Protection of Food and Agriculture, also in the canning sector, aiming to protect the interests of consumers, and which recently led to very large quantities of tomato paste of foreign origin being seized, when they were due to be repackaged and illegally marketed with a “100% Tuscan tomato” label.

Coldiretti comments on the situation
On 9 June, the Confederazione Nazionale Coltivatori Diretti (Coldiretti) expressed concern over the 23% increase in Italian imports of tomato products in the first two months of the year. It seems that most imported products come from China, and trade flows have practically doubled compared to last year, while imports of Egyptian products have increased by 83%.

But according to Coldiretti, Italy still ranks among the best countries in the world in terms of food safety: “In Italy, out of a total of 297 food alerts that occurred in 2020, only 51 (17%) concerned products originating from within the country, 146 from other EU member states (49%) and 100 from non-EU countries (34%).”
“Such a result could not be obtained,” specified the National Confederation, “were it not for the battle for transparency that has led, among other things, to the implementation of the obligation to indicate on the label the origin of peeled tomatoes, pulps, pastes and other tomato products (publication in Official Journal 47, 26 February 2018).”

ANICAV: “Avoiding any speculation that casts a bad light on the whole tomato processing sector”

Naples, 9 June 2021 - "With regard to the investigations launched by the Public Prosecutor's Office of Nocera Inferiore (SA) and by the specialized Police for the Protection of Food and Agriculture, who carried out an operation to preventively seize tomato paste of Egyptian origin deemed potentially contaminated by pesticides in greater quantities than permitted by law, the Association can only reiterate, once again, its utmost confidence in the investigators who will have the task of clarifying what happened and whether the product that has been temporarily impounded and destined for foreign countries is actually illegal.

The same trust must, of course, be placed in the company involved, which will undoubtedly have the opportunity to shed full light on the matter.

We hope that the samples will be analyzed quickly so that everything can be concluded in a short time in order to avoid any speculation which, as unfortunately often happens, takes for granted results still under investigation without waiting for the results of the investigations and scientific findings, at the risk of starting dangerous media processes that cast a bad light on the whole tomato processing sector.

ANICAV renews its total commitment in favor of maximum transparency to protect the health of consumers, as also evidenced over the years by the positions taken in support of the introduction of mandatory place-of-origin labeling for all tomato products and by the work carried out in synergy with the SSICA research institute – and which we hope will be completed in a short time – for the characterization of the macro and micro mineral elements present in tomatoes, with the aim of identifying the region of origin of the products. Once implemented, this can represent a fundamental tool for the defense of our crops and for the protection of the final consumer".

Sources: ANICAV, strettoweb.com, freshplaza.it

Italy: Petti company operations under investigation

03/05/2021 See details

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