The Authenticity of Labeling Claims: 'Mafia-Free' Versus 'All-Natural'

I’ve complained in the past about the confusing cacophony of competing food labeling claims — “natural,” “Smart Choices,” “supports immunity,” etc. — but I just stumbled across one I kind of like.

Italy has a Libera Terra label that lets consumers know their pastas, tomato sauces, olive oils and wines are free of mob ties. The Libera brand started in 2002, and its products are grown on land that was legally seized from the Italian mafia. One of the Libera Terra slogans is “Fighting the Mafia with macaroni.”

Apparently the early products were not very good quality, but customers would buy them just to support the anti-mafia aspect. Nowadays, however, according to a spokesman, “we have reached a stage where all the Libera Terra cooperatives market excellent products. Our aim is to secure a faithful clientele which will stick to our products because of their quality.”

These guys have worked hard to make their mafia-free products a reality — when they started, local people were so afraid of mafia retaliation that it was almost impossible to find workers. “Military police had to look up a local contractor and literally force him to come here with his threshing machine to do the job,” co-op Vice Chairwoman Francesca Massimino said.

In contrast, U.S. companies’ use of legally ambiguous labels like “all-natural” seems even more shameless and gratuitous.