They were marketed as "San Marzano tomatoes," Albenga trumpet squash, Trento green beans, and Calabrian chili peppers, but they were actually Chinese products. This is the latest discovery from an investigation conducted by the Turin Guardia di Finanza, which led to the seizure of over 263 tons of vegetable seeds, already packaged in nearly two million bags with false indications of their Italian origin.
If released on the market, these seeds would have generated a turnover of approximately €38 million. The recent operation is part of the investigation known as "Seed Route," which in September had already led to the seizure of 8 tons of seeds ready for sale.
The investigations have allowed us to identify an important packaging centre in the province of Piacenza. By order of the prosecutor, searches were carried out both at Turin in Piacenza. To stop the illegal activity, 29 industrial machines used for seed packaging were seized.
At the Piacenza site, the goods, imported from China, India, Tanzania, and Hungary, were packaged with the Italian flag and typical "Made in Italy" markings. The company manager was reported for selling industrial products with misleading markings.
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