ROME - The farm organization Coldiretti in Rome warns the country must take precautions to protect itself from Chinese tomato products posing as Italian.
Coldiretti said that after the recent Chinese food scars in the United States, a "flood" of Chinese paste, preserves and canned tomatoes posed "a particularly dangerous situation."
The organization said it has become urgent that safety checks be boosted since the European Union recently turned down compulsory labeling for food products, "raising the real possibility that imported products are passed off as made in Italy."
ANSA, the Italian news agency, said tomatoes from China now account for more than 30 percent of all the food imports from the country.
Chinese authorities also reportedly admitted about 20 percent of its domestic food market does not meet satisfactory hygiene standards.
The food scares in the United States involved tainted Chinese products including fish, pet food and toothpaste.
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