Zoomark, the biennial fair on pet food and equipment, confirms the good economic health of a sector that instead suffers from widespread illegality. The occasion serves to address a recurring offense, the graphic evocation on labels of absent ingredients or present in 'homeopathic doses', perhaps even in a different form.
An illegal practice – as the Ministry of Health has clarified several times – which we have in turn pointed out, most recently, in GIFT's complaints to the Antitrust against ‘Affinity Petcare’ SA. Still awaiting a verdict on the suggestive labels branded ‘Latest’.
Life of dogs (and cats), great splendor in Italy
Zoomark – the international fair of products and equipment for pets, in Bologna May 6-9, 2019 (in unfortunate coincidence with Tuttofood) – was the occasion to present the 12th edition of the Assalco-Zoomark 2019 report. The ratio between Italians and pets is 1 to 1, with 60.2 million pets recorded (!). 30 million fish, 12.8 million birds, 7.3 million cats, 7 million dogs, 1.8 million small mammals, 1.3 million reptiles.
The pet food in Italy in 2018 recorded sales of 2.082 billion euros in the dog and cat food segments alone, +1.5% compared to the previous year (2.051). Cat food dominates the scene, with 52.3% of the sector's turnover (1.089 billion), followed by dog food (993 million). A moderate increase in spending levels is also recorded, linked to the attraction to ‘premium', diet foods and 'fashionable' labels. That is, often, unpunished fraud. From fakes'mono-proteic’ to ‘light’, ‘natural’, etc. (1)
Ecommerce confirms itself as the most dynamic sales channel, with double growth compared to retail physical. Yet, precisely in online offers, there is the highest occurrence of illegal labels, even lacking the mandatory information required by current European regulations. (2) Irregular names of products and their components, claim nutritional and health claims unfounded, false or lacking indications of the quantities of ingredients highlighted on the label. The Far West 4.0.
Pet food, the investigations of GIFT
The only voice of independent information to have published news of the sensational fraud on pet food ‘monoproteic’ (which the University of Padua has ascertained, without disclosing the involved brands), our GIFT site (Great Italian Food Trade) has already reported to the Antitrust Authority (Italian Competition Authority, AGCM) the unfair commercial practices carried out by:
– Affinity Petcare SA, the Spanish giant that owns the brand ‘Latest’,
– Monge, the Italian leader who immediately acknowledged the validity of the our criticisms.
The latest edition of Zoomark has offered new insights for investigations and reports, which we will return to soon. Meanwhile, GIFT has reported to both the Antitrust Authority and the Central Institute for Fraud Repression (ICQRF) a series of violations of consumer information rules on the website ‘Amazon Pantry’, regarding various food products and animal feeds.
The Chief Inspector of ICQRF, Dr. Stefano Vaccari, confirmed to us by certified email on 22.2.19 that he contested the reported legal violations to Amazon, however without providing details on administrative penalties and possible charges of commercial fraud. The AGCM, in turn urged to review https://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/mangimi-ultima-nuova-istanza-allantitrust/ the previous case dismissal ‘Latest’, has not yet provided updates on this matter.
The systematic violation of rules regarding labeling and advertising of pet food remains a serious and widespread problem, involving an increasing number of unscrupulous operators and harming 38.8% of Italian families. These families own at least one dog (27.1%) and/or a cat (18.3%) or other animals (birds, fish, terrarium animals, rodents) et al).
Deceptions by images
The case ‘Latest’, like various others mentioned in upcoming reports, is characterized by the graphic evidence on the label of ingredients that the product contains in ‘homeopathic’ doses, devoid of any concrete relevance for the nutrition and health of the animal. That is, the representation of images of whole and fresh ingredients – e.g., chicken and beef, salmon and trout – in the graphic design of pet food labels that instead contain by-products derived from them. The consumer is thus led to believe in the presence of ingredients ofquality and value far superior to the actual ones.
The sale of ‘something for something else’ is often accompanied by unsubstantiated nutritional and health claims or derived from the addition of synthetic vitamins rather than the ingredients depicted in images. The vitamin contents, often negligible in the base components, are completely nullified due to violent thermal processes (such as extrusion, which is carried out at temperatures close to 200 °C).
The Ministry of Health has repeatedly highlighted the inadmissibility of using images – on labels and advertising – that do not correspond to or are disproportionate to the actual composition of the feed, as well as the nature and physical state of the ingredients used. Reference is made in this regard to a passage from the presentation given by Dr. Carmelo Cicero (Ministry of Health, Directorate General for Animal Health and Veterinary Drugs, Office VIII – Animal Nutrition) at Assalco, on 19.10.2017.
Illegal labels most frequent in pet food, illustrated by Dr. Carmelo Cicero to the trade association, include precisely the suggestive depictions of meat, fruit, and fresh vegetables that do not correspond to the actual composition of the product. Just like in the case of the 28 references under the ‘Latest’ brand reported by GIFT, which were indeed also reported – along with others – by U.Di.Con, the Union for the Defense of Consumers (the second largest association in Italy by membership after AltroConsumo).
The FEDIAF Code (the European Pet Food Industry Association), which integrates the European regulations to be applied to the labeling of pet food, in turn expressly prohibits the use of images that emphasize the presence of an ingredient where it is present in a form different from that depicted. The labeling and presentation of feeds must not mislead the consumer, neither regarding their characteristics (nature, manufacturing method, properties, composition, etc.), nor attributing to feeds effects or properties that they do not possess.
Missing from the roll call 'Only' legality and the protection of consumer rights. The inertia of the authorities and of Assalco itself (National Association of Companies for the Feeding and Care of Companion Animals) continues to amaze. The latter, in addition to attending Dr. Cicero's presentations, should issue instructions and activate disciplinary proceedings against its members who blatantly violate the rules in force. As befits an association representing a thriving industrial sector, to guarantee itsreputation and social responsibility (as well as legal).
Dario Dongo
Notes
(1) Assalco Zoomark Report 2019, source Euromonitor-IRI as of 30.12.18, on http://www.assalco.it/index.php?action=shownews&id=1&nid=8040
(2) See reg. EC 767/09 (labeling of feed for animals not intended for food production) and Legislative Decree 26/17, providing sanctions for violations of the respective regulations. See the previous article
Dario Dongo, lawyer and journalist, PhD in international food law, founder of WIISE (FARE - GIFT – Food Times) and Égalité.
