For some time, the forestry carabinieri have planned Action Plans for controls linked to the rules of law 238/2016 which regulates the management of substances stored in the cellar to combat crimes linked to the adulteration and adulteration of wines.
In this sector, the military operates in close collaboration with the ICQRF, the Central Inspectorate for the protection of the quality and repression of fraud in agri-food products, which represents the official control body of the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies. The joint interventions are aimed at the prevention and repression of fraud damaging the quality of agri-food products and of crimes relating to counterfeiting and adulteration, with the primary objective of consumer food safety.
In this context, the soldiers of the Carabinieri Forestry Group of Foggia and the Cerignola Unit and the operators of the ICQRF of Puglia and Basilicata carried out a targeted and meticulous verification activity on a winery site in Cerignola, discovering some irregularities.
In particular, the presence of undenatured water in wine silos was found. In the perimeter of the plant, 518,149 liters of vegetation water from the processing of silent musts, not denatured in accordance with the law, were found inside four silos.
After specific checks and sampling on the product, the Carabinieri and ICQRF inspectors proceeded with the administrative seizure of the four silos containing the non-compliant product and contested an administrative fine which can vary between 6 thousand and 20 thousand euros. Upon completion of the operation, the company managers were given particular instructions for the correct management and presence of non-denatured water in the wine silos.
Just 10 days ago, the institutional team had discovered, again in a company in Cerignola, with authorization revoked by the Ministry of Health, the presence of a significant quantity of pesticides, including expired ones, which had been seized.
