The US lawsuit against Barilla continues, alleging that it led to the belief that the pasta was made in Italy.
The Minister of Food Sovereignty Francesco Lollobrigida Do not sleep peacefully now it is clear. We imagine him there, armed to the teeth with mozzarella to use as bombs and sharp noodles as arrows, standing guard in defense of Made in italy Attacks come from everywhere. Some even question carbonara and tiramisu. There are those who would like to introduce artificial meat, pace Fassona and Chianina.
In short, there is no peace for those who want to defend the reputation of Italian cuisine from outside attacks. And then, to be honest, Minister Lollobrigida must look abroad (at least for a minute, come on, just to rest for a second between one announcement and another), because it is there – in the United States – that it is being implemented. The most epic defense battle made in Italy.
Class action for false advertising
That there is a tendency in the United States to working class Undoubtedly easy. Barrilla knows something about it, and has found itself sued for presenting itself to American consumers in a way some have found misleading.
The point of contention is: Is Barilla or is it not Italian pasta? Because on the one hand, the claim on the US packaging says “Pasta No. 1 in Italy“But in the end, the consumers who sued say, the pasta is made in America, and we have been deceptively led to believe that Barilla products are made and/or made in Italy using ingredients from Italy.”
In particular, Matthew Sinatro and Jessica Prost believe that – Minister Lollobrigida, note – champions of the defense of real Made in Italy who claimed to have bought several boxes of Barilla pasta believing they were made in Italy. And they didn’t stop buying it once they found out that wasn’t the case, but they did take the brand to court to demand justice. Furthermore, supporting what the Minister certainly also shares regarding the use of the Italian tricolor to guide consumers in purchasing a Made in Italy product. “Barilla enhances this representation of the products’ origin by replicating the green, white, and red colors of the Italian flag,” read documents filed in the Northern California District Court, “perpetuating the notion that the products are authentic Italian pasta.”
Barilla defense line
for this part, Barilla He argued that “no reasonable consumer can be fooled” because all the different types of pasta sold in America are clearly marked on the packaging as Made in USA, with Barrilla’s headquarters located in Illinois. In fact, the company also specifies on its website that its pasta “sold in the U.S.A. is produced in our factories in Ames, Iowa, and Avon, New York, with few exceptions. Barilla Tortellini and Barilla oven-ready lasagnas are made in Italy.” “The recipe and grain blend is the same as used in Parma, Italy,” the description on the site continues.
But, in the end, it wasn’t enough: Judge Donna M. Rio partially requested Barella’s dismissal and declared that the case could proceed. In short: the lawsuit continues, and the defense of Made in Italy too.
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