Alla Bogheria in Barcelona, and in Catalan food shops, a local product called “Bufala de L'Emporda”, made from 100% buffalo milk, is gaining market share to the detriment of the Mozzarella di Bufala Campana Dop product. This is the alarm raised by the Consortium for the protection of Mozzarella di Bufala Campana cheese, which represents the dairy specialty produced in Campania, lower Lazio, Molise and in a limited area of Puglia, after monitoring activities of foreign markets also conducted together with other protection Consortia. At the beginning of August, the Consortium based at the Royal Palace of Caserta reports, for the first time, tests conducted on the Catalan product detected the presence of cow's milk. We proceeded to purchase additional samples whose tests confirmed the positivity. The analyses in Italy were carried out by a private laboratory and by the laboratory of the Istituto Zooprofilattico del Mezzogiorno based in Portici. The Central Inspectorate for Fraud Repression of the Mipaaf has been informed of the entire affair. The samples taken in August and analyzed by the IZS confirmed the positive result. In order to combat the presence of the Catalan product, a communication was sent to the Minister of Agricultural, Food, Forestry and Tourism Policies Gian Marco Centinaio with a request for political intervention towards his Spanish counterpart. At the same time, a request for operational intervention (through Fraud Repression) to combat unfair competitive practices. The Icqrf, the Consortium for the Protection of Buffalo informs, immediately took action and the Spanish authorities have already forwarded the request for investigations by Italy to the competent Catalan authorities and will have to proceed with the possible contestation of the fraud in trade.
Gustavo Gentile
Article published on 29 October 2018 - 14:48
