The origin of legumes on the label is omitted: the Food Fact reveals it
Knowing theorigin of legumes from the reported information on the label is impossible: in the absence of regulatory obligation, it is reported only by those who can boast Italian origin. An exception is Coop, which on its website publishes the origin of all its branded (private label) products. A general indication can be found in organic products, where labeling regulations require specifying if the product origin is European or extra-EU. Otherwise, all is silent. The Food Fact contributes to fill this information gap by providing an overview of the most common products in Italy.
By cross-referencing data and consulting industry companies, the online publication directed by Roberto La Pira identified the origin of legumes. Here is a summary of the investigation conducted by Valeria Balboni.
Coop. The beans come from Poland, USA, Canada, Argentina, China and Egypt; the chickpeas from Italy, Canada, USA and Turkey; and the lentils from Italy, China, Canada, USA and Turkey.
Despar. Conventional beans, lentils, and chickpeas, both dry and canned, come from non-EU countries, as do dry organic beans, lentils, and chickpeas. The organic borlotti beans in cans are instead Italian.
Bonduelle. The leader in packaged legumes buys chickpeas from France and beans from Argentina.
