In collaboration with the Ministry of Health, the Carabinieri Health Protection Command carried out a series of checks throughout Italy, from Bergamo to Catania, in view of the Easter holidays. In over 840 inspections in laboratories and outlets selling chocolate eggs and doves, irregularities were found in 324 companies and 574 criminal and administrative violations were contested. In total, two tons of food were seized, with an estimated value of over 267 thousand euros
Your browser does not support HTML5
Extensive checks by the men of the Carabinieri Health Protection Command in view of Easter. The result was that, in over 840 inspections in production laboratories and sales outlets for chocolate eggs and doves, irregularities were found in 324 companies (38%) while 574 criminal and administrative violations were reported for a total of 425 thousand euros. In total, two tons of food were seized, with an estimated value of over 267 thousand euros. Six shop owners were referred to the judicial authorities and 15 were referred to the closure or suspension of the controlled activities, for an economic value exceeding 5 million euros.
The measures
The checks, carried out in agreement with the Ministry of Health, made it possible to discover the presence of industrially produced chocolate doves and eggs which, once discarded and repackaged, were then resold, offering them as artisanal production at a higher price. The 6 shop owners referred to the judicial authorities were charged with attempted commercial fraud, with the simultaneous seizure of over 300 doves and eggs improperly declared to be of “own production”. Instead, the 15 measures to close or suspend activities are mainly linked to “serious hygienic and structural situations” found during the NAS checks.
From Bergamo to Catania
In particular, in the laboratory of a pastry shop in the province of Bergamo, 70 kg of chocolate and 90 kg of confectionery products that had expired a few years ago were found, as well as administrative violations for a total of 3,500 euros. In two other pastry workshops, this time in Lazio in the province of Rome, the owners of both businesses were reported for having put on sale industrially produced doves and Easter eggs declared as artisanal gastronomic products. Furthermore, poor hygienic and structural conditions were highlighted with the simultaneous seizure of 33 packs of doves and 15 Easter chocolate eggs. There were also high fines for a total amount of 4,000 euros. Finally, in two pastry laboratories and a food industry in the province of Catania, 1,415 kg of preparations and bases for confectionery products were seized, partly expired, without labels and partly stored in a room where serious sanitary deficiencies.
