Italian police raided an illegal underground laboratory in Villarica for allegedly taking Polish ham and re-labeling the meat as Italian products.
According to The Local.it, the hams were originally boned and packaged in Poland. However, they were being repackaged with labels of prestigious Italian brands like Parma ham.
The laboratory appeared to be set up for a large-scale operation, complete with several work stations, knives, hair nets and refrigerators. All equipment and hams were immediately confiscated by the police.
The managers of the laboratory, whose names were withheld, were promptly arrested for commercial food fraud. The managers, aged 54 and 52, were also charged for several health and food safety violations.
Unfortunately, this isn't the first high-profile food fraud case in Italy. In September 2014, almost half a million bottles of counterfeit red wine were confiscated by police. The low quality wines were repackaged as products of Tuscany's Brunello di Montalcino.
"It's the biggest fraud ever carried out in the agricultural and food sector," Italian police chief Luca Albertario said of last year's counterfeit red wine. The fake wine, which was estimated to be about 160,000 litres, would have sold for €5 million, or about $5.59 million.
In March this year, Italian authorities sent out a warning about the possible import of counterfeit olive oil. The warning was addressed to British consumers to be cautious of olive oil that appears to be "too cheap to be true." The warning addressed that fake oil could be produced in unsanitary conditions and may increase risks of salmonella and E.coli.
The recent rise of food fraud in Italy may also be a discussion in this year's Expo, which is being held in Milan. The event, which boasts the slogan, "Feeding The Planet, Energy for Life," aims to promote the quality of Italian products both in the local and world trade.
