I Christmas baskets 2018 are rich in lentils of unknown origin, boding well for farmers in Canada, Kazakhstan and China – who dry legumes with glyphosate and other agrotoxics – But also not for the Italian economy. Market survey.
Christmas baskets 2018, lentils of unknown origin
Great Italian Food Trade conducted a market survey on Christmas baskets offered by leaders in this specific industry. Who have already prepared more than 3 million packages, but without a shadow of Italian lentils, as far as we know.
A) Regalidea
,
2 million gift boxes. In all the baskets observed are included the ‘Mountain Lentils‘ Schioppi-branded, in 150-gram bags. But from which mountain they would come, the Schioppi legumes, is unknown.
Legumes Schioppi confirms the conundrum, stating on its website that ‘sourcing of raw materials is no longer done only domestically but production areas have been identified worldwide (…).’
The citation
by Henry Ford
, an automobile industrialist-also on the website of Legumes Schioppi
– appears in that sense almost mocking. ‘
Quality means doing things right when no one is looking at you.
‘. No one is looking at which mountain municipality the small legumes actually come from.
The indication ‘mountain product‘, moreover, is subject to a special quality regime and precise labeling rules, compliance with which is questionable in the present case.
L’
ICQRF
should therefore verify the traceability records and related labels as soon as possible, taking into account:
– Of the huge number of packages so marked,
– of the absence of mountains in the Great Plain of Saskatchewan, where lentils from Italy’s leading exporter (Canada) are grown.
B)
The Oak
, 300,000 parcels. Lentil bag ‘‘Deer Estate’, 175 g. The ‘estate’ of the big cuckold on closer inspection is based in Romagna, in Bagnacavallo, at the headquarters of Melandri Gaudenzio. The origin of legumes is once again unknown.
The holding of the ‘big cuckold’ combines it even more in indicating that the product ‘
may contain traces of cereals containing gluten (…)
‘. A real insult to allergic consumers, as well as a blatant violation of current regulations.
C) Villa Guelfa
,
300,000 parcels.
Again, the origin of the ‘Lucky Lentils‘, branded Mill of Borgo San Dalmazzo, in packs of 150 g.
‘
Mill of Borgo San Dalmazzo
‘
bears a geographical suggestion in the mark that is not sufficient to trigger therequirement to mention the origin of the primary ingredient
. However, it is mandatory to mention the country of origin of the product if its omission may mislead the consumer in this regard.
The logo ‘
Nature Product
‘ placed on the labels of lentils sold by Villa Guelfa is equally enigmatic, more likely illicit. Is this intended to strengthen the consumer’s belief in the (admittedly dubious) Italian-ness of legumes? Is it therefore a case of Italian Sounding? And in any case, how would legumes designated as ‘nature product‘ differ from others in the same category?
D) Casella SpA
, about 600,000 baskets.
Lentils included in gift boxes, in 250 g bags under the Melandri Gaudenzio brand., are simply devoid of any indication of origin. Everything in order, only the expectation of finding legumes is expressed
Made in Italy
for the following holidays.
Mountain lentils? The rules to be applied
MiPAAFT Decree 2.8.18
regulates the ‘
Establishment of the identification logo for the optional quality indication ‘mountain product’ in implementation of Ministerial Decree No. 57167 of July 26, 2017′.
The logo ‘
mountain product
‘ can only be used on the label of products that meet the requirements of the
Regulation (EU) no. 1151/2012, from the Delegated Regulation (EU) No. 665/2014 and by the decree under review.
This logo is to be used, free of charge, by all operators who wish to use the optional quality indication ‘mountain product,’ as stipulated in the decree (Art. 4.2).
Other trademarks, symbols and logos
designed to qualify the product on the basis of
standards
different may be used in conjunction with the ‘
mountain product’
, provided there is no confusion in the consumer.
Christmas baskets, expectations and conclusions
A timely verification is expected from the ICQRF, regarding the legality of Schioppi legumes presented as ‘mountain lentils‘. Recalling, for this purpose, the concurrent responsibility of distribution operators. (1) No fraud under the tree, pray tell!
The ICQRF should also verify
the correct indication of the country of origin of Borgo di San Dalmazzo branded products, where it differs from that associated with its trademark
and such omission may mislead the consumer. And ascertain the compatibility of the logo ‘
Product Nature
‘ with the criterion of fairness of information prescribed by the ‘
Food Information Regulation
‘. (2)
From the industries of the Christmas baskets Instead, it expects a serious reassessment of its procurement choices. A bag of Italian legumes may cost at most 3-4 cents more than foreign ones, but may well be appreciated by gift recipients. Most importantly, it contributes to the growth of useful supply chains in the area (even better if organic), the economy and employment. At Christmas at least, give yourself some GDP!
To conclude, the ‘Origin Planet Earth’ (OPT) regulation. begins to show the feared effects. (3) Let’s not forget the political perpetrators (Gentiloni government and related MEPs).. Nor did the co-respondents, namely the agricultural confederations, consumer associations and cooperatives who rejected the writer’s call-despite repeated reminders-to challenge the OPT regulation as patently illegitimate. (4)
Dario Dongo
Notes
(1) On the subject of distribution liability, we refer to the previous articles https://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/etichette/le-responsabilità-della-gdo, https://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/etichette/responsabilità-del-distributore-approfondimenti, https://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/idee/responsabilità-amministrativa-d-impresa-nella-filiera-alimentare
(2) See reg. EU 1169/11, Articles 7.1.c and 36
(3) See reg. EU 2018/775
(4) Just as bitterly, it is noted how all supply chain representations have instead contributed to inflating the
fake news
of summer 2018, celebrating the outlawed decree on the origin of tomatoes on the label
. Following up on other hoaxes. Those yes, of certain origin
Dario Dongo, lawyer and journalist, PhD in international food law, founder of WIISE (FARE - GIFT - Food Times) and Égalité.
