Italy defends delicacies

ITALY’S populist government has sworn to “wage a very hard battle” against any attempt by the World Health Organisation to blacklist traditional foods such as Parmesan cheese and Parma ham under new rules governing fatty and salty foods.

Proposals related to warning labels on unhealthy food mooted in a recent WHO report are to be discussed at a meeting in September.

The report did not mention any specific foods by name but the respected Italian business newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore set off a furore by reporting that the UN agency could target Parmesan cheese and Parma ham as well as pizza, wine and even extra-virgin olive oil.

Gian Marco Centinaio, the Italian agriculture minister, described the prospect of Italian foods being blacklisted as “pure madness”.

He was echoed by the interior minister, Matteo Salvini, who tweeted “at the UN they are crazy, hands off Italian products”.