Some products described as “Italian” appear to contain Chinese tomatoes, BBC investigation suggests.

Summary

An investigation revealed that “Italian” tomato purees sold in UK and German supermarkets likely contain tomatoes grown in China’s Xinjiang province, linked to forced labor involving Uyghur and other minorities.

Testing found 17 products, many from Italian supplier Petti, containing Chinese tomatoes despite labels suggesting Italian origins.

Supermarkets disputed the findings, though some, like Lidl, admitted past use of Chinese tomatoes.

The EU is strengthening laws to address forced labor in supply chains, while critics warn the UK’s weaker regulations risk making it a “dumping ground” for such products.

  • Moonrise2473@feddit.itEnglish
    164·
    22 days ago

    Even with free labor I can’t see how it’s cost effective once you consider the price of shipping a cheap and perishable good like a tomato

    In Sicily many tomatoes are picked by immigrants paid 200 euro per week (70 hours weeks), that’s almost slavery; because it’s cheaper to transport the wholesale price paid by the factory located in Europe should be similar to tomatoes grew by slaves in a desert 3000 km far from the nearest port. Unless the purees factories are located there.

    Edit: I investigated more on the issue and learned that it was concentrated puree that was imported, with long shelf life, and that the company already had issue some years ago with the Italian food inspectors which seized many stuff, and then was photo evidence of Chinese concentrate barrels in that Italian factory

    • empireOfLove2@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
      13·
      25 days ago

      I’d almost guarantee it is some kind of concentrate/dehydrate or pasteurized input puree that is more stable, ans not raw tomatoes. If it even happened that is.

    • Flying Squid@lemmy.worldMEnglish
      101·
      25 days ago

      It’s really no different in the tomato-loving U.S.

      It’s picked by migrant workers, mostly from Latin America, who get treated like shit and send the tiny amount of pay they get home, so they’re pretty much entirely beholden to the farm (which is a huge corporation) to feed and house them. They also will get deported if they leave the farm and are noticed by law enforcement.

      They’re not literally slaves, but it’s damn near close.

      Note the camp here is called “better than some.”

      https://www.justice4all.org/tomato-camp/

      • Jerkface (any/all)@lemmy.caEnglish
        4·
        25 days ago

        In Canada, we have codified and legally endorsed all that. Employers have an absurd amount of power over “migrant workers”. Abuse is baked right into the system.

    • andallthat@lemmy.worldEnglish
      6·
      25 days ago

      that’s probably what happens. Tomatoes get at least half-processed in China, so they are less perishable and cheaper to transport and then mixed with that 1% of “true italian” tomato puree and bottled/canned somewhere in Italy so the result can be marketed as an italian product.

      This is not specific to tomatoes. I remember an article doing the math for Chianti and questioning how millions of liters of wine can all come from grapes grown on a few hills in a small part of Tuscany.

    • Jerkface (any/all)@lemmy.caEnglish
      71·
      25 days ago

      China grows about a third of the world’s tomatoes.

      I don’t know why you would cast doubt on this when we know China grows way more tomatoes than they can use, uses slaves, and those tomatoes are going SOMEWHERE. But that’s not convincing because you are not certain about some of the horticultural details?? Like, it really sounds like you are looking for a reason not to believe the truth being thrust in your face.