The $25M “Tomato Fraud” Battle: Is Your Favorite Italian Brand Selling Fake San Marzanos?
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
West Deptford, NJ, If you’re an avid home cook, you know the “San Marzano” label is the gold standard of canned tomatoes—the “Ferrari” of the pantry. But a massive new legal battle is calling into question whether one of America’s most recognizable brands is actually delivering the goods.
A proposed $25 million class-action lawsuit has been filed against New Jersey-based Cento Fine Foods, alleging “tomato fraud.” The suit, brought forward by two California residents, claims the company is misleading consumers by labeling products as “San Marzano” when they lack the official certification required to carry that prestigious title.
What is “Tomato Fraud”?
At the heart of the lawsuit is the distinction between a tomato style and a DOP-certified product.
In the European Union, authentic San Marzano tomatoes hold DOP status (Denominazione d’Origine Protetta). This means they must be:
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Grown exclusively in the Sarnese-Nocerino region of Italy.
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Grown using specific traditional methods.
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Regulated by the Consorzio di Tutela del Pomodoro San Marzano DOP.
The plaintiffs argue that because Cento products lack this official seal, they “lack the taste, consistency, and physical characteristics” that consumers expect when paying a premium price.
Cento Strikes Back: “Entirely Without Merit”
Cento Fine Foods isn’t backing down. In a statement to ABC News, the company called the claims meritless, noting they have successfully defended a similar lawsuit in New York back in 2019.
The Cento Defense:
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Traceability: Cento offers a “Find My Field” tool on their website, allowing customers to use a lot code to see exactly where their tomatoes were grown.
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Third-Party Certification: The company maintains that while they stopped seeking the specific Consorzio seal in the 2010s due to labeling disagreements, their tomatoes are still grown in the correct region and certified by a different third party.
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Proven Track Record: A federal judge previously dismissed a similar 2019 case, ruling that a “reasonable consumer” likely wouldn’t distinguish between different certification bodies as long as the quality matched.
Why It Matters to You
If you pay extra for Cento’s “San Marzano” cans, you’re paying for a specific flavor profile: lower acidity, fewer seeds, and a thicker tomato wall. The lawsuit alleges that without the DOP certification, shoppers are being sold an “inauthentic” product that would actually be illegal to label as such in Italy.
Whether this is a case of deceptive marketing or a technicality over which organization stamps the label remains for a judge to decide. For now, the $25 million question remains: Are you getting the “Ferrari” of tomatoes, or just a very expensive sedan?
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Tags: #CentoFineFoods #FoodNews #SanMarzano #ConsumerRights #CookingTips #ItalianFood #LawsuitUpdate
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