Sarno. Once again, the tomato Chinese disguises itself as Italian. About 44 containers of tomato paste from China have arrived at the port of Salerno and are destined for a plant in Sarno for processing and subsequent packaging with the Made in Italy brand.
Coldiretti Campania is on a war footing and this morning organized a protest to denounce this unacceptable practice that harms both Italian producers and consumers.
“We are suffering a theft of value and identity”, thunders Gennaro Masiello, national vice president of Coldiretti. "Chinese tomatoes do not have the same characteristics and safety standards as ours, and are produced with exploited labor. We cannot allow this unfair competition to destroy our businesses."
Forty motorcycles escorted the containers to the Sarno company, as a symbol of the protest. “We want these companies that process Chinese tomatoes to sign supply chain contracts with us that guarantee fairness and sustainability”, adds Masiello. “Otherwise, our companies will not be able to survive.”
Ettore Bellelli, president of Coldiretti Campania, underlines the inadequacy of the current regulations: "With a simple process, the Chinese tomato becomes Italian. It is necessary to change the rules of the customs code and indicate the origin of the raw material on the label to protect the true Made in Italy".
“It is a double damage, to value and to image”, complaint Salvatore Loffreda, director of Coldiretti Salerno. “Foreign consumers are deceived and believe they are buying an Italian product, while our San Marzano tomato, which grows on just a few hectares, is imitated and sold all over the world.”
Coldiretti asks to stop this practice of fake Made in Italy and to review the criterion of the last transformation in the Customs Code to ensure transparency and consumer protection.
Today's protest is just the beginning of a broader mobilization to defend the true Made in Italy and the future of Italian agriculture.
Gennarino Masiello, national vice president of Coldiretti: “Enough with the theft of value and identity of Italian tomatoes! We need a change of rules to protect Made in Italy and fair competition”.
Ettore Bellelli, President Coldiretti Campania: “Transparent labeling: the origin of the raw material must be written on the label to protect consumers and the true Made in Italy”.
Salvatore Loffreda, director of Coldiretti Salerno: “Enough deception for consumers! Chinese tomatoes cannot become Italian with a simple label. We defend the true Made in Italy and the quality of our productions”.
Article published on 10 June 2024 - 21:48
