Italy has a message for Canadians: the country wants its labels back.
Italian food makers and the government have taken notice that many products in Canadian grocery stores are disguised as Italian-made, but they’re not the real deal. This is especially true for things like pasta, cured meats, canned foods, olive oils, balsamic vinegars, and cheeses.
You know, all the things that make a trip to Italy all the more amazing. 
They’re actually produced in Canada, but dressed in red and green Italian-looking labels that complement their Italian names.
And Andrea Olivero, Italy’s vice-minister of agriculture, food, and forestry, isn’t amused.
Mr. Olivero says that the labeling is misleading and that Italy is being short-changed. That’s why he’s leading a group of 70 Italian food makers on a three-city trade mission to Canada. It’s the largest ever trade delegation from Italy and will visit Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal this week.
The MO of the “Made in Italy” campaign is to educate Canadians so that we better understand the difference between “Italian-sounding” foods and the real deal. They will also promote products that are actually made in Italy.
“Every time consumers buy a food product that sounds Italian but is not, they are effectively being misled,” says Italian Trade Commissioner to Canada Pasquale Bova. “Italian-sounding imitations are not the same as certified Made in Italy products because they are not subject to the same strict standards of production, which determine the characteristics that make original Made in Italy products world-renowned.”
The worldwide market for Italian-sounding products is estimated at over $82 billion CAD, which is more than double the size of the Italian agri-food export market. Not too shockingly, Canada, the U.S., and Mexico are some of the largest consumers of Italian-sounding products. 
Canadians purchase $3.6 billion worth of Italian knockoffs every year. And Italy definitely wants to give them the boot…
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