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Supermarket mozzarella: the Gambero Rosso ranking


The ranking published by Gambero Rosso places Gioiella (produced by Capurso Azienda Casearia) in first place, with a Mozzarella di Gioia del Colle PDO priced at €6.49 for 400 grams. Next come Deliziosa, also with a Mozzarella di Gioia del Colle PDO, and Pettinicchio, a historic brand from the Agro Pontino region now part of the Granarolo group. Looking at the official ranking, the order (after the top three of Gioiella, Deliziosa and Pettinicchio) sees Todis first, followed by Esselunga, Centrale del Latte di Roma, Conad, Carrefour, Cuomo and finally Francia (which rounds off the top 10). The presence of private labels and supermarket brands is interesting because it shows how, at least in terms of taste, some products from modern retail outlets can compete with better-known dairy brands.

CarrefourConadEsselungaPrivate Label
 

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France: negotiations between large-scale retailers and independent retailers could prevent price rises of 37 per cent


This advert appeared recently in various newspapers in response to a number of political attacks on the way the French retail sector manages its procurement. The clear message for an Italy that often acts in a ‘disorganised’ manner is this: the French large-scale retail sector (Leclerc, Carrefour, Intermarché, Système U and Auchan) is not afraid – of the government, the competition authorities, etc. – and stands united against brand manufacturers to protect French consumers’ purchasing power from inflation. And this is regardless of the policy and methodology used to calculate any price increases.

AntitrustAuchanCarrefourInflation
 

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Can Coin sell food?


CEO Matteo Cosmi would like to sell food, including fresh produce, in Coin stores. The department store chain has already tried this on several occasions: with QBMercato and Cucina, but above all with Coin Excelsior – I clearly remember the branches in Milan’s Vittorio Emanuele and Verona, which were subsequently closed. Perhaps sticking to just one area of business (non-food), and doing it well, could prevent a waste of time and money.

Non-food
 

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Migros Ostschweiz is opening its first Swiss supermarket in Herisau, in the canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden, which will be open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including Sundays and public holidays


The shop — 295 m², 7,000 items, 9 staff members — operates on a hybrid basis: with staff on duty until 7.00 pm, followed by night-time self-service with access via debit card or Cumulus card, self-checkout machines and payment via the subitoGo app. Night-time security is ensured by CCTV cameras and sensors that detect any emergencies. Even before the opening — scheduled for 2 July 2026 — Migros Ostschweiz has already announced further locations in eastern Switzerland: the project is not an isolated experiment but a potential model for expansion. There has been no shortage of criticism — the St Gallen-Appenzell trade union federation has described the 24-hour models as “useless and detrimental to small retailers” — and the issue of night work remains unresolved. Herisau was chosen for its accessibility and the absence of the regulatory complexities found in a large city... Source Below: a traditional Migros store.

 

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Auchan Retail is selling its stake in Auchan Hungary. And in France, it has lost 2.7 billion over the past five years


Source: Hungary and Source: on losses in France, although the article states that Auchan’s market share in France is 8 per cent: in reality, it is now almost half that: 5.8% in the latest period, down 0.3% on the previous period, when it stood at 6.1%, representing a fall of0.4% compared with the period before that. It stood at 8.3% – by volume – three years ago. Auchan is suffering from an internal crisis that has caused it to lose its leadership in the hypermarket segment, once the brand’s flagship format. In Italy, it has sold its network to Conad.

AuchanConad
 

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Walmart, in its biggest deal of the last two years, has acquired an advertising technology company


The retail giant is paying $1.4 billion for Vibe.co, a company that enables advertising via smart TVs… The acquisition of Vibe.co is Walmart’s largest deal since itbought Vizio for $2.3 billion in 2024. Since then, Walmart has rebranded Vizio as its own brand and integrated Vizio’s operating system into its own-brand televisions already on the market. This week’s deal is a further sign that Walmart’s executives intend to invest heavily to boost the retailer’s advertising business. Some of the executives will be required to stay on for four years to manage the business. Below is a comparison of Walmart - Amazon comparison on advertising (read ‘How Walmart became an advertising powerhouse, whilst remaining focused on the food, non-food and e-commerce businesses’) which highlights the Bentonville (Arkansas) giant’s lag behind Jeff Bezos’s company, which, moreover, has the advantage of also controlling AWS. In Italy, it is worth highlighting Selex’s initiative. Drafted on 24 June, updated on 28 June 2026

AmazonE-CommerceNon-foodWalmart
 

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The Po Valley is the most polluted area in Europe, partly due to intensive livestock farming


Global meat production hasrisen by 400 per cent, with Asia leading the global market. According to the study, global meat production rose from around 71 million tonnes in 1961 to 361 million tonnes in 2022, marking a more than fivefold increase. Over the same period, milk production has almost tripled, whilst egg production has increased more than sixfold. Eggs are considered nutritious and affordable, as well as healthy; they are also one of the most sustainable sourcesof animal protein in terms of feed, water and land use. However , avian influenza is now regarded as a ‘physiological component’ of the sector, which also limits the expansion of poultry farms, at least in Italy. This has led to trials of a vaccine in the provinces of Mantua and Verona in an attempt to eradicate the disease... The article in *La Repubblica* is dated 2 March 2026, whilst the one in *Il Sole* is dated 30 May 2026

MeatWater
 

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Behind the mixed fried seafood platter served in restaurants, there are often only imported, industrially processed, frozen and pre-fried squid and octopus


In Italy, we love squid, cuttlefish, prawns and octopus, but our seas do not provide enough to meet demand. The result? We import huge quantities. According to EUMOFA 2024 data, the cephalopod market (squid and octopus) is worth around 780 million euros in imports. Between January and September 2024 alone, we purchased over 34,000 tonnes of squid, mainly from India, Thailand and Argentina. And what about octopus? Morocco alone accounts for 45 per cent of what we eat, followedby Indonesia. If, on the other hand, you find anchovies, sardines or pink prawns in your fried dish, then yes: they are much more likely to be home-grown. But when it comes to squid and octopus, the image of ‘locally caught’ is often a myth for which we pay dearly. The real problem isn’t the frozen product itself – which can be excellent if it’s of good quality – but the lack of transparency. Many restaurants, especially tourist or seasonal ones, don’t prepare anything from scratch in the kitchen. They use industrial semi-prepared products: squid that’s already been cut, breaded and pre-fried. The chef simply has to take them out of the freezer and ‘reheat’ them in boiling oil. It’s quick, cheap and the result is always the same... The ‘local’ section of the prawn and shellfish counter at the Gi.Mar. fishmonger’s in Biassono (MB) only stocks prawns from Mazara del Vallo; everything else comes from far afield and is defrosted, like the giant squid in the photo. Written on 25 June, updated on 27 June 2026

FishLocalism
 

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US Supreme Court: Bayer cannot be held liable for failing to include a warning about the risk of cancer on the label of the Roundup herbicide


unless such a warning is required by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the US federal agency responsible for assessing the safety of pesticides. This ruling could drastically reduce the number of new legal cases in the United States, but it does not amount to a declaration that glyphosate is harmless. The question many are therefore asking is a different one: what do we really know today about the possible health risks?... Francesco Forastiere, environmental epidemiologist, researcher at the CNR and lecturer at the Environmental Research Group at Imperial College London. “The ruling concerns the fact that the company cannot be penalised for failing to include a warning on the label that the EPA does not require. But this does not in any way mean that glyphosate has been declared safe for human health…  To date,” explains Forastiere, “the IARC’s conclusion remains valid: the evidence is considered sufficient in laboratory animals and limited in humans. This justifies the classification of glyphosate as a probable carcinogen…” Below: Roundup on sale at Walmart

CancerPesticidesWalmart