For example, a jar was labeled ‘carbonara’, while the contents had nothing to do with the carbonara sauce as it is prepared in Italy. The real Italian carbonara always includes guanciale (pork cheek bacon), but that essential ingredient was missing from the sauce that Lollobrigida found on the shelves.
Minister Lollobrigida also found a jar of sauce labeled ‘arrabbiata’, although it did not correspond to the characteristic spicy Italian tomato sauce with red chili peppers. In addition, ‘bolognese’ sauce is very popular abroad, but that name is never used in Italy itself.”
‘Unacceptable’
“It is unacceptable, I have asked for an immediate investigation,” Lollobrigida said. The minister fights to protect the authenticity of Italian products. Otherwise, he believes, they will damage the reputation of genuine Italian products, which would be much tastier.
The jar of so-called carbonara sauce turned out to be made by the Belgian manufacturer Delhaize, while there was an Italian flag on the label.
The Italian farmers’ association Coldiretti strongly supports Lollobrigida’s fight for the name protection of Italian food products. “The counterfeit products and the so-called Italian Sounding costs our country an estimated 120 billion euros per year, with the paradox that the industrialized countries are the biggest counterfeiters of our three-colored top products,” says Coldiretti.