CALIFORNIA (TNND) — Popular Italian food distributor, Cento Fine Foods, is faced with a proposed class action lawsuit filed on Monday in California. The lawsuit claims the company committed alleged “tomato fraud.”
In the lawsuit, two California residents claimed that the company was illegally and falsely branding its product, claiming it contained San Marzano Certified tomatoes. Cento has since dismissed these claims, denying all allegations.
San Marzano tomatoes are a variety of plum tomato that originates from Italy’s Campania region. The tomato is known for its intense and sweet flavor. The lawsuit claims that the tomatoes in Centro’s products are inauthentic.
“Defendant’s marketing and labeling of Cento San Marzanos as ‘Certified San Marzano’ tomatoes is false, misleading, and unfair,” the lawsuit states. “They lack the taste, consistency, and other physical characteristics associated by consumers with certified San Marzano Tomatoes.”
The European Union has afforded protected status for San Marzano tomatoes; other region-specific goods, including Champagne and Parmesan cheese, have also been afforded the same status.
According to reporting by ABC News, Cento Fine Foods said the lawsuit is “entirely without merit” and vowed to “defend this claim vigorously.”
“We believe this claim is entirely without merit. We have previously successfully defended a comparable lawsuit in New York federal court and will defend this claim vigorously as well, including seeking prompt dismissal,” the lawyer said in a statement.
Dining and Cooking