- 467
- 10
- Joined Jan 11, 2002
Since I've realized that Genoa Pesto has become so popular all around the world, and in US above all, I'll update you about a controversy that's filling the front pages of all newspapers in Liguria...the "Pesto War".
The controversy starts from the fact that recently Nestlè company (which produces Pesto industrially) patented two new Basil varieties (which are grown in Germany) naming them "Pesto" and "Sanremo". The Ligurian association of Pesto producers appealed to the European Community against this decision since, they maintained, those names are misleading and illegal as they can induce people to believe wrongly that the product comes from Liguria, and asked to the Community for a DOP (Protected Origin Denomination) to defend the original features of the Ligurian basil and/or Pesto from any distortion due to industrial purposes.
Of course, in their turn Nestlè and other food industries which widely commercialize Pesto appealed against this petition, arguing that nowadays "Pesto" has become the generic definition of a recipe (like "Ragù alla Bolognese" or "Pizza alla Napoletana") and that nobody can claim to be the only one authorized to call it this way, independently from the ingredients it's made of and their provenience.
The debate spread everywhere, involving the main authorities, also political, in Italy, and we can't see the solution yet (We're still waiting for a pronouncement from the European Community)
What is your opinion about this question?
I'm looking forward to your inputs!
Pongi
The controversy starts from the fact that recently Nestlè company (which produces Pesto industrially) patented two new Basil varieties (which are grown in Germany) naming them "Pesto" and "Sanremo". The Ligurian association of Pesto producers appealed to the European Community against this decision since, they maintained, those names are misleading and illegal as they can induce people to believe wrongly that the product comes from Liguria, and asked to the Community for a DOP (Protected Origin Denomination) to defend the original features of the Ligurian basil and/or Pesto from any distortion due to industrial purposes.
Of course, in their turn Nestlè and other food industries which widely commercialize Pesto appealed against this petition, arguing that nowadays "Pesto" has become the generic definition of a recipe (like "Ragù alla Bolognese" or "Pizza alla Napoletana") and that nobody can claim to be the only one authorized to call it this way, independently from the ingredients it's made of and their provenience.
The debate spread everywhere, involving the main authorities, also political, in Italy, and we can't see the solution yet (We're still waiting for a pronouncement from the European Community)
What is your opinion about this question?
I'm looking forward to your inputs!
Pongi