The illegal labour scheme distorts prices. As well as measures to combat organised crime, the government could start to tackle the issue of wages and consumer incentives: with wages and prices distorted by the Mafia, we won’t get very far
An interesting survey of leading brands. And in Spain, the world’s leading producer of olive oil, the Andalusian cooperative Dcoop has denounced widespread fraud in Spain concerning refined olive oils. According to the stark accusation, in some cases these are mixed with lower-quality oils such as pomace and sunflower oils
Unfortunately, Mango, which is a sound company, is not acquiring a stake in the business: on the other hand, given the current situation – with losses of 35 million for the year 2025 and three further closures – it was foreseeable that there would be no ‘white knights’ available to save Coin, whose brand seems to be slowly but surely fading away
Well done to Lidl for managing to make a name for itself for something I personally haven’t noticed: that the German discount chain is a high-quality supermarket
… The same method was used to defend public funding for the promotion of red and processed meat. When the Commission considered excluding these products from programmes in line with the European plan against cancer, Copa-Cogeca engaged with certain Commissioners, the wine and spirits organisations, and national associations. The restrictions were first watered down and then dropped altogether. The comment in the internal documents is succinct: “The lobbying has paid off.”
Lidl’s marketing would have us believe that it is a supermarket. It is not, and we explain why. Furthermore, the slogan ‘eat fresh’ used by Lidl to market itself to Europeans is somewhat misleading, and Lidl cannot be an ‘ambassador of Made in Italy’ if it sells pasta made from foreign wheat as ‘Italian’
Italian, French and British retailers have drawn inspiration and lessons from their American counterparts. And the chain that opened its first supermarket 96 years ago is still family-owned: in June, King Kullen appointed its first female president, Tracey Cullen, the founder’s great-granddaughter
The market share of fizzy drinks (sodas) in the US has fallen from 45.6 per cent in 2016 to 33.5 per cent today: Coca-Cola is offsetting these losses in ‘developing’ countries. But for how long can it continue to do so without facing the same loss of consumer loyalty?
“At Esselunga, we created the wine sections: we adopted the green colour for the fittings with my father, in Berlin, at the KaDeWe department store.” *Le Ossa dei Caprotti*, page 205
Prosciuttopoli is a saga that has dragged on for eight years, exacerbated by the outbreak of swine fever in Europe since 2014. It is hoped that the sector will not forget the lesson and that consumption of both Parma ham and San Daniele ham will be revitalised
The contradictions within the Ministry of Agriculture and the lack of substance in the positions adopted by trade union organisations (Coldiretti, Confagricoltura, etc.) on an issue that should concern us all: the failure to tackle unfair practices creates numerous market distortions that skew costs, prices and margins. And these developments run directly counter to the protection of sovereignty that this government would appear to advocate.
The ‘mass’ market is increasingly focused on ready-made products, but if you have a trusted local fishmonger who offers something other than the ‘usual salmon’, you can eat better. This benefits both our health and the sea.
