The San Marzano DOP tomato (Protected Designation of Origin) is one of the emblems of Italian agricultural tradition and cuisine. This variety – originating from the Agro-Nocerino and Sarnese area in the Campania region – has for centuries been a staple of the Mediterranean diet, used as a key ingredient in tomato preserves that season pasta and Neapolitan pizza (2,3). An in-depth look.
San Marzano DOP Tomato, the history
The legend Oral tradition reports that the tomato, originally from Central America, reached Italy around 1770 thanks to a gift of seeds from the Kingdom of Peru to the Kingdom of Naples. These seeds were said to have been planted in the area now corresponding to the Municipality of San Marzano sul Sarno, in the province of Salerno, where over the centuries the related cultivar.
Historical documents attest to the spread of San Marzano in the early 1900s, thanks to the success of the first canning industries that processed and packaged the 'peeled tomatoes'. The San Marzano tomato was once celebrated as 'red gold', due to the economic value it brought to the economy and employment in the agro sarnese-nocerino area.
Cultivation and fruit characteristics
The 'San Marzano Tomato of the Agro Sarnese-Nocerino' DOP is cultivated in 41 municipalities in the provinces of Salerno, Naples and Avellino. An area characterized by soils rich in minerals of volcanic origin and a temperate Mediterranean climate, two ideal conditions for growing this plant.
The plants By Solanum lycopersicum L. They are grown vertically, with the help of supports and a lot of labor, respecting the centuries-old tradition. And the harvest is carried out strictly by hand, between late July and late September.
The fruit It stands out for its elongated shape and meaty pulp, with few seeds. The ripe fruit reaches an intense red tone. The thickness of the skin, greater than other varieties, keeps the San Marzano tomato intact during transport and processing. And it facilitates peeling, after a steam bath.
San Marzano DOP peeled tomatoes
The denomination of protected designation of origin (DOP or PDO, Protected Designation of Origin) exclusively designates two types of preserves: San Marzano DOP tomatoes 'whole peeled' and 'peeled in fillets'.
The disciplinary prescribes that the products meet the following characteristics:
– uniform red color (colorimetric ratio a/b > 2.2);
– elongated and parallelepiped shape;
– length 6-8 cm;
– absence of foreign flavors and odors;
– drained weight > 65% of net weight;
– refractometric residue > 4%;
– pH < 4.5.
Ingredients allowed cooking salt (< 3%), basil leaves, citric acid (< 0.5%), tomato juice, partially concentrated tomato juice, semi-concentrated tomato obtained exclusively from tomato fruits of the S. Marzano 2 and Kiros 2 varieties or improved lines, produced in the Agro Sarnese-Nocerino area.
Lycopene and health benefits
The tomatoes are rich in lycopene, a carotenoid that the human body cannot synthesize and therefore must receive through the consumption of foods that contain it.
Scientific literature has associated important benefits for human health with this antioxidant, linked to its ability to protect cells and DNA from oxidative stress and inflammations, key factors in the prevention of chronic diseases.
Tomato preserves contain lycopene in much higher concentration than fresh fruits, thanks to its resistance to heat treatments that preserve its characteristics and properties.
The San Marzano DOP Protection Consortium
The Protection Consortium of the ‘San Marzano Tomato of the Agro Sarnese-Nocerino’ DOP has been committed since 1996 to promoting the production chain, conserving the germplasm of native tomato ecotypes, improving cultivation and agro-industrial processing techniques, and protecting the profitability of farmers.
The protection of consumers and international buyers against food frauds on tomatoes – unfortunately still widespread, as has been seen – is one of the missions of the Protection Consortium. Prevention and control of this type of ‘food frauds’ could be strengthened through:
– application of a public blockchain technology to the traceability systems in use,
– adoption of an innovative analysis system that allows tracing back the actual origin of the tomatoes used in preserves. This system was developed and scientifically validated right in Italy but, curiously, has not yet been used in official inspections nor in those of private analysis laboratories.
Dario Dongo
Credit cover Consorzio Pomodoro San Marzano DOP
Dario Dongo, lawyer and journalist, PhD in international food law, founder of WIISE (FARE - GIFT – Food Times) and Égalité.
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