Growing fear over food fraud

In the wake of the Buitoni scandal, fears linked to food fraud involving animal products are growing.
Analyzing the activity of the carabinieri's NAS unit, Coldiretti estimated food product seizures worth over 470 million euros in 2012. Among the most counterfeit products: bread and pasta (16% of the total), meat and livestock (11%), milk and dairy products (8%), wines and spirits (5%). Moreover, a full 31% of the value of the seizures involved the restaurant sector, with establishments being shut down.

The spotlight has thus returned to the scandal of horse meat found in canned beef products. After the Buitoni ravioli episode, the carabinieri have so far taken 292 samples from 121 different brands, at production facilities but also at distribution hubs and retail chains.
With over 290 samples collected, the 200 required by the EU Recommendation have already been comfortably exceeded.
Pending the measure announced by Health Minister Renato Balduzzi for a traceability system for health checks on horses, the issue of the transparency of labelling systems remains open.
In Italy in 2012, slaughterhouses produced 16.5 million kilos of horse meat (which also includes donkey meat), but it is estimated that barely 25 percent comes from animals born, raised and slaughtered domestically, while the vast majority comes from abroad. 30 million kilos of horse meat were imported with no obligation to indicate its origin on the label, whether sold at retail as-is or as an ingredient in processed products. Almost half came from Poland, France and Spain, while just over a million kilos came from Romania.

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