The Italian government has proposed a bill which will make it compulsory for manufacturers to share the geographical origin of ingredients used in food items.
According to the new bill, the origin of fruit used in juices, preserves or jams, canned legumes or meat used for salami and hams, will be indicated on the product label.
The goal of the initiative is to boost local production, provide more options to customers, and put a check on fake Italian products entering the market.
'Victory For Farmers And Consumers'
The president of the farmers association, Coldiretti, Ettore Prandini, said that the measure represents “a great victory for farmers and consumers” and is supported by 96% of the Italian population.
Although much progress has been achieved since 2001, Prandini expressed concern over the “uncertain and contradictory attitude” of the EU “regarding the obligation to indicate the origin on the label for eggs but not for egg products, for fresh meat but not for cold cuts, for fresh fruit but not for juices and jams, for honey but not for sugar.”
Present Scenario
In Italy, the indication of origin is obligatory for peeled tomatoes and concentrates, milk and dairy products, rice, pasta wheat, and chicken.
At the EU level, the measure applies to beef, honey, and eggs. After the mad cow disease scare, food-origin labelling was introduced for the first time in all EU countries in 2001.
Working Groups
Italy’s minister of agricultural policies, Gian Marco Centinaio said that the government will set up working groups comprising individuals from the agricultural world, academia, and trade associations.
The bill is yet to be passed by the Italian Parliament.
© 2019 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Branislav Pekic. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
