Recent investigations have revealed that in Great Britain, some tubes of tomato concentrate have been sold as Italian, but actually contain product sourced from China. This situation has raised concerns among agricultural associations, such as Coldiretti, which are calling for the immediate introduction of mandatory origin labeling to protect authentic Italian tomatoes. The BBC has highlighted how major supermarket chains are marketing foods with misleading origin indications, contributing to a European market increasingly flooded with Chinese products.
China is emerging as the world’s largest producer of industrial tomatoes, with an expected production of 11 million tons in 2024. Coldiretti and Filiera Italia warn that this growth could spill over into Western markets, as imports from Asia have already doubled within the European Union. In response to this situation, Coldiretti has launched a campaign to gather signatures and propose legislation that mandates origin labeling on all food products sold in the EU, thereby extending protections to European consumers.
