Mislabeled Kiwis Get the Boot in France
Kiwis are popular in France; they are one of the top 10 fruit consumed. France has only a fraction of the number of kiwi growers compared to Italy. French kiwis are 40% more expensive than Italian fruit, making it worthwhile to fraudulently change the country of origin. A sudden flood of “French” kiwis on the market at the end of the French kiwi season caught the attention of investigators, and 12% of these kiwis were discovered to originate from Italy. The fraud netted several million Euros in additional profit for the involved Italian kiwi producers. What is especially concerning is that the fruit was treated with products that are banned in France to increase the yield.
Resources
- Willsher, K. (March 25, 2019). French officials target alleged “kiwigate” fraudsters. The Guardian.
Accessed March 25, 2019. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/mar/25/just-desserts-french-officials-target-alleged-kiwigate-fraudsters - Cassel, B., Pelloli, M., Plichon, O.(March 25, 2019): Alerte aux faux kiwis francais. Accessed March 25, 2019. Retrieved http://www.leparisien.fr/economie/consommation/alerte-aux-faux-kiwis-francais-24-03-2019-8038731.php
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