The fifth edition of the Anti-Forgery Week is celebrated on October 19-25, 2020, promoted by the General Directorate for the Protection of Industrial Property – UIBM of the Ministry of Economic Development. An opportunity to turn the spotlight once again on the serious impact of counterfeiting at the macroeconomic and microeconomic level, a damage to the country system and to the production sectors, which affects the competitiveness of companies of all sizes.
A phenomenon regarding the violation of registered trademarks, of the designations of origin (PDO, PGI, etc.), the logo, the design, the copyright, up to the counterfeiting of the product itself with implications, in more serious cases, including health and hygiene issues. For example, the use of ingredients that are harmful to health or the practice of unsuitable and untraceable production and storage procedures, often putting a Made in Italy on products made abroad, abusing the indications of quality brands. Meanwhile, let’s clarify what is meant by the English terms “Italian Sounding”. It is a phenomenon that consists in the use (on labels and packaging) of names, geographical references, images, color combinations and brands that evoke Italy, “playing” on some of its most famous typical products, deceptively leading to believe that they are authentic Italians.
Let’s make a concrete example and give some numbers: in 2019, Parmesan sold 900,000 tons of product in the United States, against 150,000 of Parmigiano Reggiano. But it is the whole sector from the fake Made in Italy to grow without setbacks, + 70% in the last ten years. The fake food inspired by tricolor products is now worth more than double the authentic supply chain: over 100 billion euros against 42, to the benefit of the so-called Italian Sounding, subtracting an estimated 300,000 jobs from the Italian agri-food sector.
It is in this area that ITA0039 moves, at the forefront for the protection of the true Made in Italy, in the Italian food and wine sector in the world. This is the tool with which ASACERT, together with Coldiretti, FAI, the support of ANRA, IFSE and PROMOItalia, traces the path towards the defense, promotion and enhancement of true Italianness in the world.
Fabrizio Capaccioli
Managing Director ASACERT
“Spreading awareness against Italian Sounding is part of the solution to problems related to false Italian. Fighting this deplorable phenomenon means protecting identity and territorial distinction and defending one of the bulwarks of Italian value in times of crisis.” Says Fabrizio Capaccioli, creator of ITA0039 | 100% Italian Taste Certification. “The complexities lie in the identification and rapid traceability of products at risk, in order to break that unhealthy gear that generates health problems for citizens and businesses, in the worst case, but also in the long term, a decline in consumer confidence, which causes a general cut in spending and which has often unjustly placed entire production sectors in difficulty and job losses. We were among the first with the ITA0039 Protocol, in agreement with Coldiretti and prestigious partners to take the defense of the true Italian agri-food heritage, our network is ready to link in a single gesture authentic and certified Italian restaurateurs, certified producers and, of course, consumers in search of healthy and inimitable Italian good food. It is another step on the path of safeguarding the true Made in Italy!“.