39 tons of confectionery products and raw materials were seized by the Nas police. They are considered to be in a poor state of conservation or found in premises affected by serious structural hygienic deficiencies, invaded by parasites, without traceability and subject to fraud on the market.
The checks were carried out in around 1,000 companies, detecting irregularities in 382 structures (38% of the objectives verified) and leading to the notification of over 585 criminal and administrative violations, for an amount of over 423 thousand euros in financial penalties.
18 managers and owners of the businesses were reported , another 342 sanctioned. 27 measures were taken to close/suspend production and sales activities, for a value of over 8 million euros.
Among the interventions, the Bologna NAS seized 24 tons of dried fruit contaminated by mycotoxins, substances of fungal origin that are dangerous to health. Furthermore, over 500 panettone, pandoro and other typical Christmas desserts, including regional ones, were removed from consumption, partly industrially produced but marketed as artisanal, partly with ingredients different in quality and origin compared to what was declared on the label.
In the province of Catania , the owner of a confectionery laboratory was reported for the use of frozen raw materials and semi-finished products in a poor state of conservation, kept in environments with serious hygienic-sanitary deficiencies, presence of insect carcasses and noxious fumes due to poor functioning of the sewage system. The entire business was seized, with 1,700 kg of finished products deemed unfit for consumption, for a value of 530,000 euros.
In the Viterbo area , the owner of a bakery who sold industrially produced panettone, presenting it on the label as artisanal, ended up in trouble for commercial fraud.
In the province of Bergamo, the NAS seized 36 pandoros in a pastry shop exposed for sale as "home-made artisanal products", actually purchased from another producer.
