€15m of fake vinegar seized

OVER the past decade it has joined hummus, avocado and sourdough as one of the modern kitchen’s must-have ingredients.

But now lovers of balsamic vinegar are about to be left with a sour taste. Retailers have been warned to check their shelves for fake balsamic vinegar after millions of euro worth of inferior dressing was seized in Italy.

Investigators confiscated €15million of low-grade vinegar made out of cheaper grapes.

Authorities stressed the imitation version is not dangerous – but it is not authentic balsamic, so shoppers could be paying over the odds for a poor man’s copy.

Under the EU’s protected foods scheme, true balsamic vinegar must be produced within the Modena and Reggio Emilia regions of Italy and made from certain grape varieties. Bottles cost anything from €3.50 for mass- produced versions to a staggering €400 for 50-year-old vintages.

It is not yet known if any brands sold in Ireland have become victims of the Italian fraudsters, but some well-known manufacturers and supermarkets have denied they have been affected, according to trade magazine The Grocer.

Products made from low-grade grapes along with fake authenticity documentation were seized as part of a major fraud investigation dubbed Operation Global Wine.

In 2017, Italy suffered its worst grape harvest in 60 years, which may have led to low-quality grapes being used to make the vinegar.

True balsamic vinegar is made with grape must, or juice, which is simmered to make a concentrate.

It is allowed to ferment, then matured in barrels for a minimum of 12 years.

This is not the first fraud scandal to hit foodies.

Last year, investigators in France discovered seven million litres of cheap Spanish wine masquerading as fine French rosé.

Imitation balsamic not dangerous