Cento faces lawsuit over tomato certification claims

Italian food distributor Cento Fine Foods faces a proposed class action lawsuit in California over claims that it falsely markets its canned tomatoes as “Certified San Marzano” products.

Two California residents filed the lawsuit Monday, accusing the company of committing “tomato fraud” by misleading customers into believing that the fruit they use meets the strict standards linked to authentic San Marzano tomatoes from Italy’s Campania region.

Why certification matters?
San Marzano tomatoes hold protected “DOP” status in the European Union, similar to products like Champagne and Parmesan cheese. An Italian consortium oversees the certification process to ensure the tomatoes come from the approved Sarnese-Nocerino area and are grown according to traditional methods. The consortium also regulates the sale of this particular tomato.

The lawsuit claims Cento’s tomatoes lack the required certification as the group removed the company over counterfeit labeling.

The suit further argues that the tomatoes do not match the taste, texture, and quality consumers expect from genuine San Marzano tomatoes.

Cento doesn’t work with the official Italian consortium, but uses a third-party.

Plaintiffs claim they paid premium prices for products they believed were authentic.

Cento strongly denied the allegations, calling the lawsuit “entirely without merit.” The company said it plans to fight the claims aggressively, noting that a similar federal lawsuit in New York was dismissed in 2020. 

The new lawsuit seeks more than $25 million in damages for consumers.