Small and medium enterprises united to fight the Italian Sounding

During the last forum of Federalimentare (Italian Federation Food and Beverage), Italian entrepreneurs talked about innovation technologies, Italian food export and – above all – the fight against the Italian sounding products.

Italian food industry invests every year 10 million euro in research and development, about the 8% of its global turnover. According to the president of Federalimentare, start up and new business have a key role to help the economic recovery and to protect the “made in Italy”. Thanks to start up and new business, Italian food export is growth in 7,3% during the first 6 month of 2015. According to the “Plan Calenda”, promoted by the Italian Vice Minister of economy, small and medium enterprises should improve the focus on food export to USA, the second country in importance for the “made in Italy” but also the biggest country for Italian sounding products.

The main goal of the plan is create a strong industry group to promote and disseminate the real ”Made in Italy”.

Italian sounding products is the new form of food piracy

6 million euro per hour it’s the amount of the made in Italy turnover loss because of products with images, names and colors whose imitate authentic Italian products, but having nothing to do with the original made in Italy.

The phenomenon is well known but not enough considered by authorities. Only EU has drawn attention that to every two Italian products sold, only one is authentic. All products pretending to be Italian are a real loose for Italian alimentary export. While the food piracy is an illicit act punishable by law, the huge business of Italian sounding plays in a grey area.

Only international rules can fight the Italian sounding: specific laws can assure the transparency about raw materials, the origin of foods and the manufacturing process employed by traders. A legal action is more and more necessary, above all in area like United States and Canada, where the Italian imitations outstrip the real “made in Italy” ten to one. If Italian businesses want to remain competitive worldwide, they have to fight this grey area occupied by Italian sounding products and pretend an international regulation to protect the authentic “made in Italy”.

So, the next steps will be:

1. To launch information and promotions campaigns, so the foreign consumers can learn and recognize the difference between a fake and an original Italian food product;
2. To promote a law to protect the indication of geographical origin;
3. To define a standard productive process.

For more informations about authentic Italian food product visit. Alifood.it

Source of data: Grandi e piccole imprese alimentari unite contro l’Italian sounding