Lawsuit accuses New Jersey-based brand Cento of ‘tomato fraud’
The suit claims the company markets its tomatoes as "San Marzano Certified" despite the product not meeting proper quality standards.
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Two California residents have launched a lawsuit accusing the New Jersey-based brand Cento Fine Foods of false advertising.
The suit claims the company markets its tomatoes as "San Marzano Certified" despite the product not meeting proper quality standards.
It states that the Il Consorzio di Tutela del Pomodoro San Marzano DOP, located in Campania, is the only entity that can certify and approve San Marzano tomatoes.
Cento was a member of the consortium until it was ejected for committing fraud in 2011, according to the suit.
The complaint also alleges that the brand charges a premium for the product even though it is “not of equivalent origin or quality as tomatoes certified by the consortium.”
“Defendant’s marketing and labeling of Cento San Marzanos as “Certified San Marzano” tomatoes is false, misleading, and unfair. They lack the taste, consistency, and other physical characteristics associated by consumers with certified San Marzano Tomatoes,” the lawsuit said.
Cento has since denied the claims.
This is not the first lawsuit directed at the company. A suit containing similar allegations was filed in 2019.
