Belgian Food Company Uses Smoked Pancetta Instead of Guanciale in Bottled Product; Italian Agriculture Minister Calls It a ‘Culinary Crime’; Product Pulled from Supermarket Shelves
사진 확대
Italy has expressed outrage over the release of a ‘fake’ Carbonara sauce product, declaring that it cannot allow such items to be sold in European supermarkets.
According to CNN on the 20th (local time), the controversy began when a bottled Carbonara sauce produced by Belgian food manufacturer Delhaize appeared in a shop within the European Parliament, an institution that advocates for the protection of traditional Italian foods.
Not Using Guanciale in Carbonara Is a ‘Major Offense’
Italy maintains strict rules for making traditional Carbonara, which is typically prepared by mixing pasta, guanciale (cured pork cheek), and pecorino (sheep’s milk cheese) with egg yolks and black pepper.
However, the newly launched product replaced guanciale with smoked pancetta (Italian-style bacon). According to La Cucina Italiana, a magazine often referred to as the bible of Italian cuisine, the use of pancetta is unacceptable.
Francesco Lollobrigida, Italy’s Minister of Agriculture, immediately called for an investigation into what he described as a ‘culinary crime.’ Although the sauce does not claim to be made in Italy, critics argued that it committed a ‘grave offense’ against the authentic recipe.
Minister Lollobrigida voiced his outrage on Facebook, stating, “Even setting aside the use of pancetta in Carbonara, this product is among the worst examples of so-called ‘Italian-sounding’ foods.”
He added, “It is unacceptable to see this on European supermarket shelves,” and requested an immediate investigation.
사진 확대 Guanciale Used in Carbonara
“Fake Italian Products Cause €120 Billion in Annual Losses”
Coldiretti, Italy’s largest agricultural organization, claimed that the production of such fake Italian products results in annual losses of €120 billion (approximately 204 trillion won) for Italy.
The group explained that deceptive practices such as using the Italian flag’s colors, fake Italian product names, and images of Italian landmarks fall under regulatory issues according to EU rules.
While the Belgian sauce manufacturer at the center of the controversy has yet to comment, the European Parliament has removed the product from store shelves.
This is not the first time Carbonara has been at the center of controversy. Last year, H. J. Heinz Company sparked debate by releasing a canned version of ‘Spaghetti Carbonara’ that used pancetta instead of guanciale.
Some Italians have argued that culinary authenticity should evolve with the times. In 2023, historian Alberto Grandi stirred public outcry by publishing a book claiming that Carbonara and pizza were American inventions rather than Italian.
사진 확대 H. J. Heinz Company Carbonara Sauce. H. J. Heinz Company Website
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
Dining and Cooking