A total of 250 tubes of Prosecco and pink peppercorn flavored Pringles have been seized from an Italian supermarket chain in the Veneto region.
Launched in the U.K. last year as a limited-edition Christmas snack, the chips were confiscated as part of ongoing efforts by Teresa Bellanova, the Italian agricultural minister, to fight “identity theft.”
The “theft” in question refers to the illegal use of the Prosecco name, a term protected ever since the region was granted DOC status (Denomination of Controlled Origin) in 2009. Use of the name requires authorization from Prosecco producers.
In a statement to The Guardian, Bellanova said, “The seizure testifies to the strong commitment of the ministry and the ICQRF, our authority which fights against food fraud and for the protection of quality, to fight against the usurpation of Italian protected names.”
Pringles also issued a response to the seizure: “We used Prosecco DOC as an ingredient in the aroma and the use of the name of the product on the packaging was designed in line with DOC guidelines and European regulations. We have no plans to produce this variant in the future.”
Bummer.
