A recent interactive feature in the New York Times about low-quality olive oil has damaged the Italian industry's image in the United States, two farm organizations complained Wednesday. The feature in the American newspaper demonstrated how much oil labeled as Made in Italy is actually lower-quality product from countries including Greece, Spain and Tunisia and may at times be contaminated by careless handling.

That has damaged exports to the United States from Italian producers, who have seen their exports fall by 13%, "partly due to scams that target producers who are repeatedly criticized by the American press," Coldiretti said in a statement. It has called for better protection of the good name of Italian products, which it said was promised in a law passed in Feburary 2013 with the goal of ensuring "the authenticity and transparency of Italian production". 

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Source: http://www.gazzettadelsud.it/