Italy's 'No. 1 brand of pasta' faces a class-action lawsuit

[Opti]

A judge has ruled that pasta brand Barilla must face a class-action lawsuit over its advertising.

Although styled as "Italy's No. 1 brand of pasta," its products are made in Iowa and New York.

The plaintiffs allege Barilla took advantage of the fact they were willing to pay more for Italian pasta.


A federal judge has ruled that Barilla, styled as "Italy's No. 1 brand of pasta," must face a class-action lawsuit that alleges false or deceptive advertising.



The judge decided that customers could be misled by the phrase "Italy's No.1 brand of pasta" and believe its products are made in Italy, court documents show.



Although the company originated as a bread and pasta shop in Italy, Barilla is now based in Illinois. Its products are made in Iowa and New York. They do not exclusively use Italian wheat, the lawsuit alleged.


www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/italy-s-no-1-brand-of-pasta-faces-a-class-action-lawsuit-over-its-products-that-are-made-in-iowa-and-new-york/ar-AA138Yev?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=8d4c33f87325465cad69106980a6248f

I'm curious what posters think. I like Barilla pasta, but I thought that at the very least they would use Italian wheat. Many things imported in from other countries in NJ, sometimes partially made here with foreign ingredients.

[billisonboard]

Is Barilla Italy's #1 brand of pasta based on any criteria, e.g. sells, restaurants' usage, etc? If yes, I think they are on solid ground with their advertising. If not, they need to stop using it. 

[Deleted]

Oct 19, 2022 19:19:01 GMT -5 billisonboard said:

Is Barilla Italy's #1 brand of pasta based on any criteria, e.g. sells, restaurants' usage, etc? If yes, I think they are on solid ground with their advertising. If not, they need to stop using it. 

I agree.  There's nothing in that statement that implies it was made in Italy or the ingredients came from Italy.  I do wish there were more labeling on foods to tell you where they were produced and where the ingredients came from.  Sometimes all I see is "Distributed by XYZ Foods, Inc., Anytown, USA", and sometimes "Product of (Country).  Maybe the latter is required if it's from outside the USA.  As long as they're not labeling it "Product of Italy" there's no fraud.  

[NoNamePerson]

Dang, and all this time I figured it was Made in China  

[bean29]

I usually buy Barilla or Cremette Pasta.  I buy it because I think it is a good quality product.  I would not perceive something made in the USA to be of less quality than something made in Italy.  It is my understanding when buying Cold Pressed Olive Oil, it is more likely to be what the label says it is if it says USDA Inspected.

www.simplyrecipes.com/a_guide_to_olive_oil/

www.bonappetit.com/story/how-to-buy-olive-oil-beginners-guide

IMHO this is a garbage lawsuit.  If you bought it once and did not think it was worth the price, would you buy it again just because the label said People from Italy like it?

[teen persuasion]

Other companies do this too, and I hate it.

Galbani cheese bought up Sorrento Cheese (made in Buffalo, NY). It is still made in Buffalo, with the same recipes. Only the label and brand name changed, but it uses the "Galbani - Number 1 in Italy" tagline.

[minnesotapaintlady]

This is one of those WTF lawsuits that drives me nuts. 

Btw, we buy Barilla now just because it's a family joke.  When DS was visiting colleges a few years back we took 35S to Iowa State and it was under major construction.  We missed the exit THREE times due to it being pitch dark and So. Much. Construction.  Every time we'd miss the exit we'd pass the Barilla factory.  It was like our only point of reference because outside of that it was corn. The boys were like, "well, there's Barilla...again"   Last year my son was traveling with some friends to DesMoines and I get a text message photo of the Barilla plant. 

[Tiny]

Oct 20, 2022 8:10:17 GMT -5 @athena53 said:

Oct 19, 2022 19:19:01 GMT -5 billisonboard said:

Is Barilla Italy's #1 brand of pasta based on any criteria, e.g. sells, restaurants' usage, etc? If yes, I think they are on solid ground with their advertising. If not, they need to stop using it. 

I agree.  There's nothing in that statement that implies it was made in Italy or the ingredients came from Italy.  I do wish there were more labeling on foods to tell you where they were produced and where the ingredients came from.  Sometimes all I see is "Distributed by XYZ Foods, Inc., Anytown, USA", and sometimes "Product of (Country).  Maybe the latter is required if it's from outside the USA.  As long as they're not labeling it "Product of Italy" there's no fraud.  

There's no fraud - but it definitely is in a gray area -  calling it Italy's #1 brand of pasta implies it's got some sort of connection to Italy.     My first impression of the slogan is that Barrilla is sold in Italy and that it's the brand of choice for most Italian consumers of pasta.        Somehow I doubt that's true.          

And I'd highly recommend remembering that the American consumer is NOT the brightest of bulbs... and I have to include my own family members and dear friends in that statement.  
(I have friends/family who do NOT question the labeling on products or any sort of Marketing.     I have commented that snake venom and cyanide are 100% natural so they too must be "good for you".  Family and Friends buy products because celebrities endorse them (ok that's more about being like the celebrity or the product having 'magical feel good' qualities than anything else but still...  I have no idea how Emeril's pots and pans will suddenly improve your cooking skills but the middle of the road pots and pans at Walmart (probably produced by the same manufacturer as Emeril's)  will not.)   

I do think these kinds of lawsuits need to happen - there's no good way to keep American Marketing from making outlandish claims other than to try to keep them dancing around acceptable ways that won't generate a costly lawsuit.   

Don't get me started on supliments and vitamins.   

(FWIW:   I can't taste a difference in pastas.  I did find that some brands hold up better to my inattention when cooking it.  So, I tend to buy Meijer's brand (whole wheat or regular in different (I've become especially fond of cavatappi)  shapes) it use to be a 1# box for $1.00  and still sometimes is even with inflation. OK, the different shapes would be 12 oz for $1.00.    I tend to easily overcook the Creamettes pasta - but that's my second choice.  3rd choice is the Aldi base brand or the higher priced Priano pasta in a bag (usually different shapes).    I got use to whole wheat pasta - so the regular kind has a weird texture that I no longer care for in basic pasta shapes.  )     

[Deleted]

Oct 20, 2022 9:57:55 GMT -5 Tiny said:

And I'd highly recommend remembering that the American consumer is NOT the brightest of bulbs... and I have to include my own family members and dear friends in that statement.

But how far do we go to protect people from their own stupidity? I remember one product (Wonder Bread?) that made a claim years ago that their product had more "food energy" than competing brands.

They were forced to run commercials to "clarify" that but "food energy" they meant calories.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

Oct 20, 2022 10:17:48 GMT -5 @athena53 said:

Oct 20, 2022 9:57:55 GMT -5 Tiny said:

And I'd highly recommend remembering that the American consumer is NOT the brightest of bulbs... and I have to include my own family members and dear friends in that statement.

But how far do we go to protect people from their own stupidity? I remember one product (Wonder Bread?) that made a claim years ago that their product had more "food energy" than competing brands.

They were forced to run commercials to "clarify" that but "food energy" they meant calories.

I suppose the flip side of that is how much do we allow advertisers to get away with?   My MIL was talking to me once about how ads were specifically targeted to pregnant women encouraging them to smoke so they wouldn't gain weight.  Her doctor even suggested it!

I mean everyone should have known that was a bad idea right?  Who cares the cigarette companies were hiding evidence to the contrary while promoting their product as a healthy weight loss activity.  The consumer should have just known.

It starts small just like with toddlers who start small to see what they get away with then escalate.  To you this seems stupid but over all it sends a message about false advertising.

[Deleted]

At keast they no longer run this ad anymore.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

Wow that's a really young Ronald Regan.

[weltschmerz]

...and a great deal of 'Italian wheat' comes from  Canada.

IMPORTS
In 2020, Italy imported $1.89B in Wheat, becoming the 6th largest importer of Wheat in the world. At the same year, Wheat was the 41st most imported product in Italy. Italy imports Wheat primarily from: Canada ($447M), France ($272M), Hungary ($267M), United States ($242M), and Austria ($110M).

oec.world/en/profile/bilateral-product/wheat/reporter/ita

All the lines are blurred now.

[Opti]

Oct 20, 2022 9:28:20 GMT -5 bean29 said:

I usually buy Barilla or Cremette Pasta.  I buy it because I think it is a good quality product.  I would not perceive something made in the USA to be of less quality than something made in Italy.  It is my understanding when buying Cold Pressed Olive Oil, it is more likely to be what the label says it is if it says USDA Inspected.

www.simplyrecipes.com/a_guide_to_olive_oil/

www.bonappetit.com/story/how-to-buy-olive-oil-beginners-guide

IMHO this is a garbage lawsuit.  If you bought it once and did not think it was worth the price, would you buy it again just because the label said People from Italy like it?

For olive oil I'd prefer to buy made in California. But for pasta, Italy is known for certain kinds of pasta flour. I think the suit has some merit and corrective advertising and especially on the boxes are warranted. Not made from Italian wheat for starters.

[Tiny]

OK,  I have to change my response: 

www.bell-italia.com/blog/en/food/the-5-most-popular-italian-pasta-brands-worldwide#:~:text=1)%20Barilla%20Pasta,a%20bakery%20in%20Parma%2C%20Italy.

It looks like Barilla is indeed an Italian company and does indeed command a large market segment in Italy.   

I think the issue then is that the labeling isn't clear that the product is made in the US (and perhaps is different in some ways than the Barilla pasta that is marketed to consumers in Italy). 

I guess it's like my favorite "super market" tea - Canadian Red Rose.    I can get a version of Red Rose here in the States - but it's not the same as the product delivered to Canadian stores.  I'm not even sure the Red Rose for US markets is packaged in Canada.       I have family who travel to Canada a couple, three, four times a year to visit extended in-law family and they are my "tea mules" bringing boxes of the "good stuff" back for me with each trip.       They originally thought I wanted some special "artisan" tea - but I was, nope, you get it at the grocery - it's like the Lipton Tea of Canada.        Love the stuff.      
       

[Tiny]

Oct 20, 2022 10:17:48 GMT -5 @athena53 said:

Oct 20, 2022 9:57:55 GMT -5 Tiny said:

And I'd highly recommend remembering that the American consumer is NOT the brightest of bulbs... and I have to include my own family members and dear friends in that statement.

But how far do we go to protect people from their own stupidity? I remember one product (Wonder Bread?) that made a claim years ago that their product had more "food energy" than competing brands.

They were forced to run commercials to "clarify" that but "food energy" they meant calories.

I think some sort of standardization is good (which would keep marketing from using something like "food energy" instead of "calories" in the marketing).   especially when there are more than 3 or 4 choices of a specific product.   Fatigue sets in if you have spend time reading and comparing lots of the same product to figure out which one is the best one for you.    It's gets annoying when the products change OR the labeling changes and you have to go back thru and find the product that meets your criteria for purchase.  

[weltschmerz]

Oct 20, 2022 13:01:22 GMT -5 Tiny said:

OK,  I have to change my response: 

www.bell-italia.com/blog/en/food/the-5-most-popular-italian-pasta-brands-worldwide#:~:text=1)%20Barilla%20Pasta,a%20bakery%20in%20Parma%2C%20Italy.

It looks like Barilla is indeed an Italian company and does indeed command a large market segment in Italy.   

I think the issue then is that the labeling isn't clear that the product is made in the US (and perhaps is different in some ways than the Barilla pasta that is marketed to consumers in Italy). 

I guess it's like my favorite "super market" tea - Canadian Red Rose.    I can get a version of Red Rose here in the States - but it's not the same as the product delivered to Canadian stores.  I'm not even sure the Red Rose for US markets is packaged in Canada.       I have family who travel to Canada a couple, three, four times a year to visit extended in-law family and they are my "tea mules" bringing boxes of the "good stuff" back for me with each trip.       They originally thought I wanted some special "artisan" tea - but I was, nope, you get it at the grocery - it's like the Lipton Tea of Canada.        Love the stuff.      
       

Lol! Here I am, living in Canada, and I get my tea from France.

[Deleted]

Oct 20, 2022 13:20:25 GMT -5 Tiny said:

It gets annoying when the products change OR the labeling changes and you have to go back thru and find the product that meets your criteria for purchase.

I agree with that. How many ways can they say "we added sugar"? Sugar, sucrose, glucose, evaporated cane juice, corn sugar, beet sugar, corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup.... some of those are very different from each other (especially high-fructose corn syrup, which is extra- evil) but they're all bad news.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

I buy Barilla and have bought it for years - mainly because I have found that it is a pasta that I like that has been a consistent products over the years.  I never paid attention to the advertising for it.  

I am annoyed that the price of it has gone up considerably over the last few years.  It is almost 50% higher in price than it used to be.  Before the pandemic, the shelf price was $1.25 and my grocery store would occasionally have it for $1/box.  It is now $1.79.

[raeoflyte]

Oct 20, 2022 10:23:40 GMT -5 NomoreDramaQ1015 said:

Oct 20, 2022 10:17:48 GMT -5 @athena53 said:

But how far do we go to protect people from their own stupidity? I remember one product (Wonder Bread?) that made a claim years ago that their product had more "food energy" than competing brands.

They were forced to run commercials to "clarify" that but "food energy" they meant calories.

I suppose the flip side of that is how much do we allow advertisers to get away with?   My MIL was talking to me once about how ads were specifically targeted to pregnant women encouraging them to smoke so they wouldn't gain weight.  Her doctor even suggested it!

I mean everyone should have known that was a bad idea right?  Who cares the cigarette companies were hiding evidence to the contrary while promoting their product as a healthy weight loss activity.  The consumer should have just known.

It starts small just like with toddlers who start small to see what they get away with then escalate.  To you this seems stupid but over all it sends a message about false advertising.

Agree with this. Nutella I think got in trouble for advertising the "health qualities" which I agree with. Yes, we should all know not to trust advertising but decision overload is real. Sending the message to companies that bs marketing isn't acceptable seems worth it to me.

[Tiny]

on a side tangent:    San Marzano, Italy   was able to more or less able to have tomatoes from the region be the only ones that can have San Marzano Tomatoes prominently displayed on the American label  along with the info that the can was imported from Italy.  

There are other producers/growers of the "San Marzano" Tomato - but it wasn't grown in  San Marzano, Italy.   The labels typically do NOT say variety of the tomato in the can - you can sometimes tell by the graphics on the label if it might be that type of tomato.     


I think there is something like this with green lentils   I think if they aren't grown in where ever in France they are labeled with something like "French style" or just green lentils.   The once grown in France (the special region) get labeled as French Lentils.    I may be wrong on this or only partially right.  I went down a rabbit hole late one night - trying to find out where the different lentils/brands I buy are grown... it made my head hurt.   
   

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

Oct 20, 2022 14:38:09 GMT -5 raeoflyte said:

Oct 20, 2022 10:23:40 GMT -5 NomoreDramaQ1015 said:

I suppose the flip side of that is how much do we allow advertisers to get away with?   My MIL was talking to me once about how ads were specifically targeted to pregnant women encouraging them to smoke so they wouldn't gain weight.  Her doctor even suggested it!

I mean everyone should have known that was a bad idea right?  Who cares the cigarette companies were hiding evidence to the contrary while promoting their product as a healthy weight loss activity.  The consumer should have just known.

It starts small just like with toddlers who start small to see what they get away with then escalate.  To you this seems stupid but over all it sends a message about false advertising.

Agree with this. Nutella I think got in trouble for advertising the "health qualities" which I agree with. Yes, we should all know not to trust advertising but decision overload is real. Sending the message to companies that bs marketing isn't acceptable seems worth it to me.

Pop Tarts got in trouble for not having any real fruit in them.  I am not going to say I didn't sit there and wonder how anyone could have thought they had real fruit in them but I'm also all right with them being told be honest in your marketing.

[Opti]

Oct 20, 2022 14:51:07 GMT -5 Tiny said:

on a side tangent:    San Marzano, Italy   was able to more or less able to have tomatoes from the region be the only ones that can have San Marzano Tomatoes prominently displayed on the American label  along with the info that the can was imported from Italy.  

There are other producers/growers of the "San Marzano" Tomato - but it wasn't grown in  San Marzano, Italy.   The labels typically do NOT say variety of the tomato in the can - you can sometimes tell by the graphics on the label if it might be that type of tomato.     


I think there is something like this with green lentils   I think if they aren't grown in where ever in France they are labeled with something like "French style" or just green lentils.   The once grown in France (the special region) get labeled as French Lentils.    I may be wrong on this or only partially right.  I went down a rabbit hole late one night - trying to find out where the different lentils/brands I buy are grown... it made my head hurt.   
   

There are many food designations especially in Europe that are protected by law. We have a little of that in the US, although I do not know legally if certain regions plus foods are protected. Lots of grown in Idaho potatoes on fresh and frozen potatoes in CNJ. There are of course NJ tomatoes, etc.

[justme]

Oct 20, 2022 13:01:22 GMT -5 Tiny said:

OK,  I have to change my response: 

www.bell-italia.com/blog/en/food/the-5-most-popular-italian-pasta-brands-worldwide#:~:text=1)%20Barilla%20Pasta,a%20bakery%20in%20Parma%2C%20Italy.

It looks like Barilla is indeed an Italian company and does indeed command a large market segment in Italy.   

I think the issue then is that the labeling isn't clear that the product is made in the US (and perhaps is different in some ways than the Barilla pasta that is marketed to consumers in Italy). 

I guess it's like my favorite "super market" tea - Canadian Red Rose.    I can get a version of Red Rose here in the States - but it's not the same as the product delivered to Canadian stores.  I'm not even sure the Red Rose for US markets is packaged in Canada.       I have family who travel to Canada a couple, three, four times a year to visit extended in-law family and they are my "tea mules" bringing boxes of the "good stuff" back for me with each trip.       They originally thought I wanted some special "artisan" tea - but I was, nope, you get it at the grocery - it's like the Lipton Tea of Canada.        Love the stuff.      
       

100% the pasta they make in the US for US customers is a different recipe than Italy. But Italy (and EU) have a lot more rules and restrictions about food over there.

When I was over there someone in my group pointed out that the ingredient list of hunts ketchup is entirely different over there. (No, not getting into that someone in my group needed ketchup lol)

Pasta shouldn't be that different, but who knows.

I'm a little surprised it actually is #1 over there, but I didn't go into any grocery stores. All the restaurants said house made pasta and even the Mercados had fresh pasta you could buy.

[Deleted]

Oct 24, 2022 19:55:46 GMT -5 justme said:

100% the pasta they make in the US for US customers is a different recipe than Italy. But Italy (and EU) have a lot more rules and restrictions about food over there.

I agree- this is where it gets tricky. I know that in Germany, for example, the "purity laws" are very specific about what you can call "beer". I'm guessing that anything they export doesn't have to follow those laws- just comply with the laws in the importing country. It would be better if the labels indicated whether the product complied with the food laws of the exporting country.

[tskeeter]

Oct 24, 2022 19:55:46 GMT -5 justme said:

Oct 20, 2022 13:01:22 GMT -5 Tiny said:

OK,  I have to change my response: 

www.bell-italia.com/blog/en/food/the-5-most-popular-italian-pasta-brands-worldwide#:~:text=1)%20Barilla%20Pasta,a%20bakery%20in%20Parma%2C%20Italy.

It looks like Barilla is indeed an Italian company and does indeed command a large market segment in Italy.   

I think the issue then is that the labeling isn't clear that the product is made in the US (and perhaps is different in some ways than the Barilla pasta that is marketed to consumers in Italy). 

I guess it's like my favorite "super market" tea - Canadian Red Rose.    I can get a version of Red Rose here in the States - but it's not the same as the product delivered to Canadian stores.  I'm not even sure the Red Rose for US markets is packaged in Canada.       I have family who travel to Canada a couple, three, four times a year to visit extended in-law family and they are my "tea mules" bringing boxes of the "good stuff" back for me with each trip.       They originally thought I wanted some special "artisan" tea - but I was, nope, you get it at the grocery - it's like the Lipton Tea of Canada.        Love the stuff.      
       

100% the pasta they make in the US for US customers is a different recipe than Italy. But Italy (and EU) have a lot more rules and restrictions about food over there.

When I was over there someone in my group pointed out that the ingredient list of hunts ketchup is entirely different over there. (No, not getting into that someone in my group needed ketchup lol)

Pasta shouldn't be that different, but who knows.

I'm a little surprised it actually is #1 over there, but I didn't go into any grocery stores. All the restaurants said house made pasta and even the Mercados had fresh pasta you could buy.

Regional variations in our food supply are common.  Even something as simple as ground wheat (flour) is regional.  Flour sold in CA is different varieties of wheat than flour sold on the east coast.  Why?   The primary reasons are climate, soil, and transportation cost.  Climate and soil determine which variety of wheat, for example, provides the best yield in various parts of the country.  This means that the wheat available in Lodi, CA is a different variety than the wheat available in Buffalo, NY.  By blending flour from a variety of strains of wheat, national flour companies can make a west coast flour that bakes the same as an east coast flour.

[jerseygirl]

I remember seeing large silos with Barilla when I visited Italy the time we used buses to go between towns. Now use the fabulous Italian trains and don’t remember seeing them

[daisylu]

Oct 30, 2022 16:06:58 GMT -5 tskeeter said:

Oct 24, 2022 19:55:46 GMT -5 justme said:

100% the pasta they make in the US for US customers is a different recipe than Italy. But Italy (and EU) have a lot more rules and restrictions about food over there.

When I was over there someone in my group pointed out that the ingredient list of hunts ketchup is entirely different over there. (No, not getting into that someone in my group needed ketchup lol)

Pasta shouldn't be that different, but who knows.

I'm a little surprised it actually is #1 over there, but I didn't go into any grocery stores. All the restaurants said house made pasta and even the Mercados had fresh pasta you could buy.

Regional variations in our food supply are common.  Even something as simple as ground wheat (flour) is regional.  Flour sold in CA is different varieties of wheat than flour sold on the east coast.  Why?   The primary reasons are climate, soil, and transportation cost.  Climate and soil determine which variety of wheat, for example, provides the best yield in various parts of the country.  This means that the wheat available in Lodi, CA is a different variety than the wheat available in Buffalo, NY.  By blending flour from a variety of strains of wheat, national flour companies can make a west coast flour that bakes the same as an east coast flour.

I just learned in 2020 that there is a difference in east coast and west coast butter in the US while I was looking for a new butter dish. I've haven't been past western Kentucky, so this was new to me. 


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