Italian crisp makers fined over 'healthy' claims
Italy's anti-trust body on Tuesday fined four producers of potato crisps a total of more than €1 million for falsely suggesting their industrial, deep-fried and salty products had some health-giving or artisanal qualities.
The four brands hit with the fines by competition and markets body AGCM were San Carlo (€350,000), Amica Chips (€300,000), Pata (€250,000) and Ica (€150,000).
All four presented certain lines of packet chips as being low or reduced-fat when they did not qualify as such under EU guidelines.
Amica, Pata and Ica made misleading claims about the fundamental nature of their supposedly "hand-crafted" lines. San Carlo, Amica and Pata were rapped for misrepresenting the olive oil component used in their more upmarket brands, which were actually fried in mainly vegetable oil.
San Carlo and Amica were also found to have misleadingly suggested there was some fundamental difference between their premium plain crisps and their basic plain or flavoured ones.
Comments
See Also
The four brands hit with the fines by competition and markets body AGCM were San Carlo (€350,000), Amica Chips (€300,000), Pata (€250,000) and Ica (€150,000).
All four presented certain lines of packet chips as being low or reduced-fat when they did not qualify as such under EU guidelines.
Amica, Pata and Ica made misleading claims about the fundamental nature of their supposedly "hand-crafted" lines. San Carlo, Amica and Pata were rapped for misrepresenting the olive oil component used in their more upmarket brands, which were actually fried in mainly vegetable oil.
San Carlo and Amica were also found to have misleadingly suggested there was some fundamental difference between their premium plain crisps and their basic plain or flavoured ones.
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.