Mafia links to ‘false’ mozzarella in Italy

At first it was simply a case of false certificate of origin (DOP) labelling on Italian buffalo milk mozzarella cheeses alleged to be from the Mandara group of dairies. But the investigating police soon claimed they had found links between one of the owners of the family firm, Giuseppe Mandara, and the Naples Camorra. Giuseppe, who calls himself the “Armani des Mozzarella”, has now been arrested and around €100 million in funds confiscated.

Where exactly the milk comes from for the Mandara mozzarella di bufala has not been declared so far. But the Italian farmers’ organisation Coldretti says that “false” mozzarella sold in Italy even includes milk powder shipped from Bolivia – all part of a Mafia-administered €12.5 billion per year food scam  which also includes “Italian” tomato paste originating in China and olive oil from Algeria.