The โMade in Italyโ brand is one of the worldโs most recognized and coveted labels. Given this cachet,ย many manufacturers have tried over the years to pass off everything from olive oil to handbags as authentic Italian products.
Reliabitaly is a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting/promoting the Made in Italy brand. Now the organizationโs new smartphone app is aiming to help consumers figure out what products really have been Made in Italy and which ones are fake.
According to Reliabitaly, this organization and this app are needed for two reasons. โReliabitaly allows you to easily and independently check if a product has been verified by our association and therefore if the product has actually been Made in Italy or not. At the same time, Reliabitaly allows Italian manufacturers to distinguish their own products from those products that are just โItalian Sounding.'โ
Per The Local, โItaly has more products than any other country โ 221 โ which are protected by the EUโs geographic labels of origin (DOP), including buffalo mozzarella, prosecco, and Modena balsamic vinegar. Under EU laws, products receiving DOP status must be produced according to specifications and in the designated region โ but this can be tough to regulate.โ
Reliabitaly also states on the FAQ on its website that it is trying to combat Italian manufacturers that make a large percentage of their products in developing countries, while โfinishingโ them in Italy so they can apply the โMade in Italyโ label.
I like the idea of this app. But Reliabitalyโs origins and motives are unclear. For example, the Toronto-based non-profitย does not appear to be associated with the Italian Trade Commission or the Italian Ministry for Economic Development, though those government entities could stand to benefit from an app that promotes authentic Italian products.
Would you use Reliabitaly? Add your feedback in the comments below.
Last updated on November 19th, 2019
Post first published on January 27, 2017