Popular Italian food brand accused of 'tomato fraud' in new lawsuit

Key Points:

• Two Californians have filed a class action lawsuit against Cento Fine Foods, accusing the company of "tomato fraud" by falsely labeling its canned tomatoes as "Certified San Marzano," a premium variety prized for specific taste and quality characteristics.
• The lawsuit claims Cento's tomatoes do not meet the taste, consistency, and physical standards associated with genuine San Marzano tomatoes, which hold protected status in the European Union and are verified by an independent consortium.
• Cento states its San Marzano tomatoes are certified by Agri-Cert under strict Italian guidelines and are grown in the authentic San Marzano region, offering traceability to customers via codes on the cans.
• The company denies the allegations, calling the lawsuit "entirely without merit," and plans to vigorously defend itself, noting it previously won a similar case in New York federal court in 2019.
• The lawsuit also alleges Cento was expelled from the San Marzano certification consortium for fraud, a claim the company disputes, having voluntarily ceased consortium certification due to labeling requirements.