CANNED HEAT

Italian Food Brand Accused of ‘Tomato Fraud’

Two Californians have claimed that the company is lying on its labeling.

An Italian food brand is being sued for allege “tomato fraud.” The central argument of a suit brought by two California residents against New Jersey-based Cento Fine Foods is that its “Certified San Marzano” labeling is flagrantly untrue, according to the class action lawsuit obtained by the New York Post. “San Marzano tomatoes are considered the Ferrari or Prada of canned tomato varieties. Loyalists say they are well worth the higher price tag compared to other Italian or domestically produced options,” the lawsuit states, suggesting that San Marzano tomatos are not used in Cento’s product. “Defendant’s marketing and labeling of Cento San Marzanos as ‘Certified San Marzano’ tomatoes is false, misleading, and unfair,” the filing continued. The complainants went in on the taste, or lack thereof. “They lack the taste, consistency, and other physical characteristics associated by consumers with certified San Marzano Tomatoes,” it said. A lawyer for Cento Fine Foods told ABC that the claim is “entirely without merit.” The company successfully defended a similar suit in New York in 2019.