Prologue: The Italian region of Friuli- Venezia Giulia recently lost their battle for the rights of a name brand wine Tocai, to the Hungarian wine Tokai, and now they want revenge.
Imitation cheese and salame from Friuli in Canada.
Italian name brand food products are being imitated and used to produce and
commercialize cheese and salame in the Canadian market. London's Tradinvest Group
representative Marco Macorigh, who for years operates in the internationalization of
small and medium Italian businesses and promotes Made in Italy in the food sector,
reports. Some products found on Canadian supermarket shelves, like Mortadella San
Daniele, made in Canada by Santamariafood Co, which depicts the Friuli town of San
Daniele, or the Friuli cheese, produced in Canada by Silani, which depicts two typical
signs of the region Friuli but has as a symbol the leaning tower of Pisa.
Then there's the cheese Mini Friulano, produced in Canada by Saputo, and other cheeses
like Fontina and Asiago under Arla, Loblaws, and President's choice, to name a few.
These anomalies, as described by Marco Macorigh, should be corrected immediately by the
authorities and for the sake of the Sistema-Paese with a coordinated image, integrated
and articulated by the many territorial and enogastronomical particularities, which
render unique and inimitatable a country like Italy. Promoting a product with it's
territory is a good marketing strategy, but it gets tough when you have to also rewrite
geography, adds Marco Macorigh.
This article, aired on local radio and was published on local newspapers Sunday, Dec.
28, 2008.
I'd call it protectionism... and a slight dash of revenge.
Imitation cheese and salame from Friuli in Canada.
Italian name brand food products are being imitated and used to produce and
commercialize cheese and salame in the Canadian market. London's Tradinvest Group
representative Marco Macorigh, who for years operates in the internationalization of
small and medium Italian businesses and promotes Made in Italy in the food sector,
reports. Some products found on Canadian supermarket shelves, like Mortadella San
Daniele, made in Canada by Santamariafood Co, which depicts the Friuli town of San
Daniele, or the Friuli cheese, produced in Canada by Silani, which depicts two typical
signs of the region Friuli but has as a symbol the leaning tower of Pisa.
Then there's the cheese Mini Friulano, produced in Canada by Saputo, and other cheeses
like Fontina and Asiago under Arla, Loblaws, and President's choice, to name a few.
These anomalies, as described by Marco Macorigh, should be corrected immediately by the
authorities and for the sake of the Sistema-Paese with a coordinated image, integrated
and articulated by the many territorial and enogastronomical particularities, which
render unique and inimitatable a country like Italy. Promoting a product with it's
territory is a good marketing strategy, but it gets tough when you have to also rewrite
geography, adds Marco Macorigh.
This article, aired on local radio and was published on local newspapers Sunday, Dec.
28, 2008.
I'd call it protectionism... and a slight dash of revenge.
