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Pasta: does the high price nightmare continue?
by Luigi Pelliccia
Wheat Milling
by Luigi De LisioFOOD RULES
Deforestation and food production
by Giuseppe Maria Durazzo
The latest indexes show that the “producer prices” of “pasta, cous cous and similar flour products,” according to the ISTAT definition, if compared to January 2023-May 2023 (last available month) decreased by -0.3%. Along with this, “consumer prices” of “pasta and cous cous,” if compared to January 2023-June 2023 (last available month) increased by +2.6%, while when compared with January 2023May 2023 they increased by +2.0%. Trend comparisons over the last 12 months show that producer prices for “pasta and cous cous” increased between May 2022-May 2023 by
+4.7%, while consumer prices increased between May 2022 and May 2023 by +13.5% and between June 2022 and June 2023 by +12.1%. In short, even if the reference periods change, and far from any supply chain controversy (given the fluid and complex period it is going through), an emerging phenomenon appears: ex-factory pasta prices have shown lower trends than consumer prices. Therefore, the controversy over the high-price trends on the shelves, which in mid-July also led to ministerial discussions on the subject with producers, appears to be offtopic. Yet, the entire food and
beverage world is inappropriately involved in the controversy on inflation. Indeed, it should be added that, generally speaking, the producer prices of the aggregate food industry remained completely static over the period January 2023-May 2023, with +0.0%, while the consumer prices of “food and non-alcoholic beverages” increased by +4.4% and those of “alcoholic beverages” by +2.6% over the period January 2023-June 2023. On a period of twelve months, i.e. from May 2022 until May 2023, the producer prices of the food industry rose by +7.4%. Besides, consumer prices of food and non-alcoholic beverages rose by +11.2%, from June 2022 until June 2023, and by +11.8% from May 2022 until May 2023. Finally, consumer prices of alcoholic beverages rose by +7.3% from June 2022 until June 2023, while they rose by +7.4% from May 2022 until May 2023. In short, despite some approximations related to the not entirely homogeneous food sectors of reference, data show that consumer prices of the two food and beverage sectors have been steadily accelerating month after month in the first half of the year, as opposed to the absolute producer price stagnation in the industrial food aggregate. Is this due to an inventory effect? Maybe, but how many months can this last? Or is this due to “laziness” in adjusting price lists to compensate for the profit reduction suffered in 2022/23 even by
the last link in the food chain? Meanwhile, in the first five months of the year food sales fell by -4.7% in volume compared to the same period of 2022, while they rose by +7.3% in value, with a price effect differential of 12 points. However, figures reveal also another phenomenon, which might become a structural problem. Recently, based on ISTAT national accounting data, it appeared in fact that the added value of the food industry (in other words, its main qualitative recognition target), in the 2022/21 comparison (i.e. outside of pandemic-related rebounds), fell by8.8% in current values, while it rose by +0.3% in constant values. Yet, it is well known that after adjusting for the price effect, constant currency trends for all economic quantities are always lower than those in current currency. Over the last four years, changes became -9.7% in current currency and +2.3% in constant currency. Without the shadow of a doubt, such a trend is unusual and has become more pronounced in the last two years. In the 2019/18 comparison, the change in the sector’s added value still showed a conventional increase +2.5% in current currency and a smaller +2.1% in constant currency. In 2020/19, the sector’s added value fell by -3.1% in current values, compared to -9.2% in constant values. Finally, in the 2021/20 comparison we find value added changes of -0.3% in current currency and +11.7% in constant currency.
All the way to those 2022/21 changes mentioned above. Therefore, the phenomenon seems to be taking root, and allows for two assessments. First, despite the cost push (which in 2022/21 brought the food industry’s producer prices to an average trend growth of +13.8%), the sector lowered its current ex-factory prices as much as possible, while preserving the added value of its products. In practice, it supplied its products at a lower average unit price, adjusted for inflation. This means that it sold more quality and charged less for it. Second, it is pretty obvious that this effort ended up, to varying degrees and on a large average, progressively squeezing profit margins. It must also be said that this phenomenon has also replicated itself within the large manufacturing aggregate, although in a much more limited and substantially marginal way. While, over the last four years, the perimeters of agriculture and the country’s broader economy have confirmed the usual trend according to which increases in added value in current currency exceed those in constant currency. In a nutshell, the food sector is operating is a difficult context, with a depressed domestic market characterised by disparities and real underlying malfunctions. This occurs after decades in which the sector had been untarnished, due to its anti-cyclical market stability and control qualities. An era is over. At this point, realistically speaking, with margins being squeezed, and with specific challenges looming on agricultural commodities supplies in the long run (in addition to the crosscutting challenges related to energy), the risk is that the sector may lose production units and, in the meantime, save the accounts “string” in terms of investments. This strategy seems less painless. Yet, it would put at great risk its long-term competitiveness and, in a word, the very future of Italy’s second largest industrial sector, with enormous damage to the country.
Luigi Pelliccia
Croatia’s Podravka has finished construction works on its new pasta manufacturing unit worth 14 million euro ($15.5 million) in Koprivnica and is about to launch trial production there. “As of the autumn, the new unit will annually produce some 3,500 tonnes of industrial pasta and 2,800 tonnes of pasta for the retail market,” Podravka said in a press release. The new unit is located in the Danica business zone in Koprivnica, in northern Croatia. The new production facility represents an enlargement of Podravka’s existing plant for soup and seasonings. By this investment, Podravka will ensure its own production of pasta, a strategic product for its instant soups.
Increase sustainable investments, consolidate its presence in the North American market and enhance pasta production capacity, exporting the Italian spirit and the principles of a balanced diet made up of healthy products for people and the planet. These are the objectives at the heart of the new 34 million agreement signed by Crédit Agricole Italia, as agent bank, and Cassa Depositi e Prestiti, assisted in part by the Sace Guarantee, in favor of the Andriani Group, active in the agro-industry sector and of innovation food. The resources will allow the company to carry out an important investment in Canada, with the construction of a new production site which, in line with Andriani’s internationalization strategy, will improve the Group’s competitive positioning in the North American market, strengthening its production capacity and allowing for the creation of new jobs.
Barilla continues the story of its Al Bronzo line, enriching it with a special immersive experience that brings to life the raw processing through new premium contents. This processing is one of the secrets of the Al Bronzo tasting experience, so the big player has decided to tell the story, in a new and creative way, through an online platform that can be used from mobile phones and can be reached through a QR-code on all packs and sizes; consumers can have access to a rich variety of contents related to the line’s characteristics, a source of inspiration in the kitchen. These include an immersive augmented reality experience that makes consumers see firsthand the intensity and richness of Barilla Al Bronzo. Pasta gets closer to consumers to show itself in all its “art” and to truly reveal what makes it so unique and special.
Shoppers could be forced to fork out more for pasta in coming months, as adverse weather conditions push up global prices of durum wheat. Production of durum wheat has fallen by as much as 20% year-on-year in Canada - the largest global exporter of the crop - due to “persistent heat and dry weather across the Prairies,” Mintec grains analyst Zanna Aleksahhina warned this week. This would threaten supply to countries including Italy and France, which rely on Canadian imports as they “do not have enough domestic production to meet the demand,” Aleksahhina said. The dry weather has also hit US production of durum wheat, which is down 10% year on year, she added. As a result, market prices of the crop from Canada and the US have this month reached their highest peak in a year.
Barilla changes its corporate structure, big news for the Parma-based group that also announces a mega investment of 1 billion; half of that money will cover projects to be developed in Italy. As of 2024, the Barilla group will have a new corporate structure. Over the summer, the reorganisation of the Italian pasta giant, which aims at accelerating its international growth, took shape. The heart and head of the company will remain in Parma, but the reorganisation plan pivots on a Dutch holding company, the newco Barilla International BV, based in Amsterdam. At the top of the pyramid will remain Barilla Holding, the Parma-based safe house of the fourth generation of the Barilla family, which will control 85% of the Dutch Barilla International.
A new literature review published in Nutrients, suggests pasta consumption is not associated with overweight or obesity in healthy children and adults, and in fact, may be inversely associated with Body Mass Index (BMI) or abdominal obesity, particularly when consumed in the context of a healthy dietary pattern. The research, “Impact of Pasta Intake on Body Weight and Body Composition: A Technical Review” which was conducted by Lisa M. Sanders of Cornerstone Nutrition, LLC and Joanne Slavin at the University of Minnesota on behalf of the National Pasta Association, was conducted to better understand the relationship between pasta and weight. The researchers examined 38 studies evaluating pasta intake and body weight outcomes, as well as potential mechanisms by which pasta may influence body weight (e.g., appetite regulation, glycemic response).
The world’s best-loved pasta dish is from Tuscany: pappardelle al cinghiale (pappardelle with wild boar ragu), a symbolic recipe of the culinary tradition of Maremma and the entire region. This is confirmed by the ranking drawn up by TasteAtlas, the online food guide known at an international level. Through a survey and voting, completed on August 27th, the portal published a Top 10 list of the most-loved pasta dishes. Italian excellence dominates the ranking, with just one exception from Greece. Pappardelle is one of the most popular pasta shapes in Tuscany and, unlike tagliatelle, its width ranges from 2 to 4 cm, with a rather rough texture. When combined with a wild boar ragu, this dish is one of the best culinary experiences to enjoy in Tuscany.
From 8 to 10 September, the historical Pasta Festival (Festa della Pasta) was held along the cobbled streets of Gragnano; this event was sponsored by the Consorzio di Tutela della Pasta di Gragnano IgP (Consortium for the Protection of Gragnano IgP) and the Municipality of Gragnano. Nestled in the heart of the central street, Via Roma, visitors had the opportunity to discover and taste a menu that ranged from traditional recipes to avant-garde culinary creations. Star chefs from the area demonstrated their mastery in a series of show cooking sessions, outlining a culinary landscape that highlights both the richness and diversity of pasta offer. The programme also featured several workshops, conferences and cultural meetings aimed at shedding light upon every aspect of Gragnano’s pasta-making tradition.
The operations involved in milling wheat are the same, whether it is durum or soft wheat. Basically, they include the following steps: grain reception, pre-cleaning in silos, cleaning, conditioning at appropriate humidity, milling, storing, mixing, transfer to means of transportation or packaging. The flow chart of a durum wheat mill differs from that of a soft wheat mill in that the goal is to obtain a final product with a sharp edge, i.e. semolina (passing through a sieve with a mesh size of 0.180 mm, maximum 25%; Presidential Decree of Italy no. 187 of 09/02/2001), while in the soft wheat mill the aim is to obtain a finished product with a reduced grain size, i.e. flour. Consequently, in the durum wheat mill there is a greater number of breaking mills than in the soft wheat mill where regrinding mills are preferred. As it is well known, the characteristic machine of the durum wheat mill is the purifier.
Over the past two decades, an innovation in the milling process flow chart, applicable to both durum and soft wheat mills, has been introduced, which consists of a pre-processing stage of the caryopsis. One of the first to take an interest in this technique was the Canadian company TkacandTimm Enterprises (Port Colborne, Ont.), which had developed a “pre-processing” method in a pilot plant, obtaining a number of advantages over traditional systems, such as more refined semolina and higher extraction yields, as well as a better appearance for pasta in terms of colour (“brightness” and “brownness”), without negatively affecting its cooking quality. Moreover, this method reduces the
amylase activity of semolina, which is responsible for the production of reducing sugars. The latter are involved, along with amino acids, in the Maillard reaction during pasta drying, especially at high temperature.
Those proposing the Tkac system (US patent) point out a number of advantages, such as higher profits from the special characteristics of by-products, higher plant
production capacity and lower energy consumption due to a simplified milling scheme (Dexter, Martin et al., 1994; De Lisio, 1999). Barilla G. e R. F.lli Spa had also developed a method for debranning the durum wheat caryopsis, with a three-step abrasion system, for the production of whole-wheat semolina and whole-wheat pasta.
pesticide residues and also heavy metals, if any. In this regard, few studies can be found in scientific literature. In an experiment conducted by Barroso Lopes et al. 2002, aimed at improving flour quality, soft wheat cultivars were debranned by means of laboratory and industrial equipment. Different levels of the removal process were applied to the caryopsis outer part ranging from 0 to 6%. The results showed improvements in the flour colour, an increase in ash content, a reduction in amylasic activity as well as a drop in deoxynivalenol mycotoxin (DON) content up to 70.6%.
This method was granted two international patents (US8808782B2, United States, EP1785192A1, European Patent Office). A pre-treatment phase of the caryopsis also improves the quality of flour products in terms of product safety, as it results in greater removal of microbial contaminants, mycotoxins,
In another study carried out by Tibola et al. to evaluate the DON content, phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity in soft wheat flour subject to prior debranning treatment, samples of soft wheat from three cultivars were pretreated by a laboratory mill for rice and subsequently milled, with the corresponding comparison without debranning, by Lab Mill 3100 from Perten Instruments. In the case of
wholemeal flour production, the debranning treatment was performed at 2 levels, i.e. for 20 and 40 seconds. These treatment times corresponded to a caryopsis weight reduction of 1 and 2%, respectively. As to the reduction in mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON) content, reductions by 22% were observed for the first level of pretreatment and by 28% for the second level compared to the nonpretreated reference. In an article published by Forder (1997), among other things, some results and advantages with caryopsis debranning using the Peritec system developed by Satake Uk Ltd. are reported. With regard to chemical residues, the author indicates that with the Peritec system it is possible to produce flour with residue levels of certain substances of about 50% compared to those usually present in flour obtained by the traditional milling system (malathion 0.08 ppm vs 0.14 ppm; chloropyrifosmethyl 0.05 ppm vs 0.08 ppm; bromine 2.0 ppm vs 4.0 ppm). At that time, various research
Whole grain products have significantly increased in recent years
institutes including the Parco Scientifico e Tecnologico del Molise (Pst) in collaboration with the University of Molise (Cubadda, Marconi et al.), the University of Milan (Pagani et al.), the Grain Research Laboratory of the Canadian Grain Commission (Winnipeg, MB) (Dexter, Marchylo et al.) were carrying out research and testing activities concerning debranning processes and abrasion of the caryopsis.
the Pst method: testing
Joint experimentation with various partners was carried out at the Pst in order to investigate various aspects and results that can be achieved with the caryopsis pre-treatment process including the levels of caryopsis abrasion considered as most appropriate, milling yields, the quality features of flour products
and by-products, as well as pasta production. Specifically, the experimentation was carried out using the Pst laboratory and pilot plants, and as third party contractors, the laboratories of Università del Molise,the laboratory and plants of Bühler spa (Uzwil-Switzerland) and a Bühler industrial milling plant (former durum wheat mill of La Molisana Spa, Campobasso). At the Pst, a preliminary pearling of the caryopsis at 5 different levels (3, 6, 9, 12 and 15% waste) was carried out by means of a Namade abrasion debranning machine followed by milling with a Bühler Mlu 202 experimental mill using domestic and Australian durum wheat. Tests were conducted by carrying out simultaneous microscopic tests on caryopsis sections to follow the removal steps of the outer pericarp layers and aleurone layer.
Chemical and rheological analyses were carried out on the flour and intermediate products; no significant variations in the parameters tested were found, except for dietary fibre and ash content, which decreased as the level of pearling treatment in the caryopses increased. Based on the preliminary results, industrial pearling tests were carried out at two levels (6.4 and 10.3%) at Bühler using an industrial debranning machine followed by milling by means of an industrial-type compact plant with a working capacity of 200 kg/h. The same domestic durum wheat used in the studies carried out at Pst was also used for the test. Along with debranning tests, microscopic tests were conducted on the caryopsis sections in order to monitor the process and avoid excessive removal of the aleurone layer which is rich in nutrients. The industrial tests largely confirmed what had been highlighted with the Pst pilot plants. Domestic durum wheat, without prior debranning, was ground in the former Bühler industrial durum mill of La Molisana spa with a working capacity of 300 t/24h and equipped with a traditional milling flow chart consisting of 6 breaking mills, 6
detaching mills and 2 regrinding mills. Table 1 outlines the industrial milling yields from which it can be seen that it is possible to increase semolina yield by 4-5 units with the pearling of the caryopsis compared to the traditional system without pearling and, consequently, it is possible to reduce the quantity of by-products, i.e. bran and middling that derive from it.
Table 2 shows the nutritional composition of semolina obtained by pearling the caryopsis, which has a slightly higher fibre and protein content than conventional semolina.
Putting the pearling-abrasion treatment before the milling process allows the mill to differentiate the flour products according to the market demand. For example, it is possible to obtain a whole durum wheat flour product with an ash content higher than the national legal limit of 0.90% s.s., but with a better composition in macro and micronutrients than refined semolina and with yields that are impossible to reach with traditional milling (83.1% vs. 70.6%) (Table 3). With this new milling technique, fine semolina (middlings) can be obtained and have interesting
Nutritional composition of traditional semolina (70.6% yield) and whole durum wheat semolina obtained from 6.4% debranned caryopsis (83.1% yield), (semolina was obtained from the same wheat)
nutritional properties, compared to the corresponding semolina obtained from pearled and unpearled wheat, in that they contain significantly higher amounts of dietary fibre and macro- and micronutrients, in particular B vitamins and tocopherols (constituents of vitamin E), (Table 4). Middlings may represent an opportunity for processing companies to differentiate their products as
these ingredients can be used for the production of functional pasta.
New milling flow chart
Experimentation had led to the identification of a new caryopsis milling flow chart as shown in Figure 1. If one intends to produce whole durum wheat semolina, some variations to the flow chart shown in Figure 1 are necessary since the initial conditioning time is reduced to about 3 hours, the degree of
pearled wheat and unpearled wheat
starting wheat and industrial semolinaTable 3
Table 4
Nutritional and vitamin composition of middlings obtained from 6.4% (F1) and 10.3% (F2) pearled wheat compared to corresponding industrial semolina (S1 and S2) and unpearled wheat semolina (S3)
pearling from 9-10% drops to 6% and, finally, a sieving phase should be integrated so as to remove coarse bran particles.
With semolina obtained through prior abrasion of the caryopsis, pasta was produced using the Pst pilot plants whose cooking characteristics (Table 5), assessed by sensory analysis and chemical methods, turned out to be similar to those obtained with traditional semolina. On the other hand, the colour, as defined by measuring the yellow index, was slightly lower for pasta produced from whole durum wheat semolina.
Table 6 shows the nutritional composition of pasta made from traditional semolina and from whole durum wheat semolina; it can be seen that the latter, obtained through caryopsis debranning, allows for an increase in the protein level and, above all, in the dietary fibre of the processed product compared to traditional semolina pasta.
The research came to the conclusion that the inclusion of a caryopsis pre-treatment step makes it possible to simplify industrial milling flow charts, increase the production capacity of a traditional mill within the same available space, and reduce the investment required in certain machines (rolling mills, plansifters, purifiers etc.) for new plants.
At an industrial level, some plant construction companies had developed debranning systems, Satake Corporation (Stockport, G.B.) had developed the “Peritec’” method; Berga-Sangati had developed a wet vertical debranning machine with a more complex inserted unit called the Kombi Unit (De Lisio, 1999). Bühler Spa and Ocrim Spa had also introduced their wheat debranning equipment onto the market.
Information campaigns by national and international organisations and institutions aimed at guiding consumption towards a healthier
diet that favours, among other things, foods with a higher fibre and vitamin content; research activities in the nutrition sector; the enactment of EU regulations allowing the use of nutritional and health claims for foods etc.; these are some of the reasons that have led to an increased consumer demand for health foods in recent years, with a preference for foods
based on whole grains. In order to meet consumer’s demands, plant manufactures, cereal users and processors have organised themselves upon rediscovering another ancient technique, i.e. stone milling, which makes it possible to produce flour products containing all the nutritional constituents that can be found the caryopsis. Stone milling makes it possible to produce
whole durum wheat semolina that meets the requirements of current regulations and can be used for pasta production (Presidential Decree of Italy 09/02/2001, no. 187; Presidential Decree of 05/03/2013 no. 41).
The current rules governing the production and marketing of flour and pasta should be updated in some respects. Specifically, considering the recognised physiological and health effects of dietary fibre and for the sake of greater transparency for consumers, the product
Characteristics of pasta made from traditional semolina, from 6.4% and 10.3% debranned wheat semolina, from whole durum wheat semolina with 6.4% debranned caryopsis
Stone milling maintains all the nutritional constituents of the caryopsis
classification of durum wheat flour, semolina and pasta should include the fibre parameter for whole durum wheat semolina and whole durum wheat semolina pasta. Something similar should be extended to the product classification of wholemeal soft wheat flour and the most widely consumed processed product such as bread. Recently, the “Whole Grain Initiative,” a partnership between organisations and experts carrying out various initiatives in the whole grain sector, drew up a definition of “whole grain” and “whole food” (Folloni S., 2022), with the agreement of the parties concerned. Both definitions are shown below:
• “Whole grains consist of undamaged, ground, crushed, flaked or otherwise processed caryopses/seeds after removal of non-edible parts such as glumes and seed-coats; all anatomical components, including endosperm, germ and bran, must be present in the same corresponding ratios as the caryopsis/whole seed”;
• “A whole food must contain at least 50% whole ingredients on a dry weight basis. Foods that contain 25-50% whole grains on a dry weight basis may indicate the presence of whole ingredients on the front of the
package, altough they cannot be defined as “whole-grain.” In addition, it is recommended that “the percentage of wholegrain ingredients in the food is indicated on the front-ofpackage labelling to ensure fair practices in the food trade and facilitate comparison of products for customers.” In my opinion, as a complement to the proposals promoted by the “Whole Grain Initiative,” it would be appropriate to recommend that the amount of dietary fibre, expressed in grams and contained in 100 grams of the product (or with similar wording), should also be stated on the front of the package of a whole-grain food.
Luigi De Lisio• Barroso Lopes R., Posner E.S., Albert A., Devlate I. M., Pre milling debranning of wheat with a commercial system to improve flour quality, “Journal of Food Science and Technology” 59, pp. 38813887, 2002.
• Tibola C.S, Vaz Fontes M.R., Zavariz de Miranda M., Barboza Devos R. J., Guerra Dias A. R., Bock E., da Rosa Zavareze E., Deoxynivalenol content, phenolic compounds, and antioxidant activity of wheat flour after debranning process, “Food Tecnhology”, Jan-Dec. 2020.
• Forder D. E., Flour Milling Process for the 21st Century, in “Cereals: Novel Uses and Processes”, edited by Campbell et al., 1997.
• Dpr n.41 del 05-03-2013, Regolamento recante modifiche al decreto del Presidente della Repubblica 9 febbraio 2001, n. 187, concernente la revisione della normativa sulla produzione e commercializzazione di sfarinati e paste alimentari, Gazzetta Ufficiale n. 95 del 23 aprile 2013.
• Folloni S., Il ruolo di cereali integrali in materia di sostenibilità ambientale e sicurezza alimentare, “Molini d’Italia”, dicembre 2022.
• Dalbon G., Grivon D., Pagani M.A., Pasta, Continuous Manufacturing Process, “Pasta and Noodle Technology”, pp. 13-58, Edited by J.E. Kruger, R.B. Matsuo, J.W. Dick, ACCC 1996.
References:
• Dpr n.187 del 09/02/2001, Regolamento per la revisione della normativa sulla produzione e commercializzazione di sfarinati e paste alimentari, a norma dell’articolo 50 della legge 22 febbraio 1994, n. 146, Gazzetta Ufficiale n. 117 del 22 maggio 2001.
• Dexter J.E., Martin D.G., Sadaranganey G.T., Michaelidis J., Mathieson N., Tkac J.J., Marchylo B.A., Preprocessing: Effects on Durum Wheat Milling and SpaghettiMaking Quality, “Cereal Chemistry” 71 (1), pp. 10-16, 1994.
• De Lisio L. 1999, Qualità della pasta: effetti delle alfa-amilasi, dell’amido danneggiato, degli zuccheri riducenti e della granulometria delle materie prime, “Tecnica Molitoria”, settembre 1999, pp. 953-979.
• Baroni D., Manufacture of Pasta Products, “Durum Wheat Chemistry and Technology”, pp. 191-216, ACCC 1988.
• Industria 4.0 e ioT: ecco perché Storci è un passo avanti alla concorrenza, “Pasta&Pastai”, 183, ottobre 2021.
• Famiglia, Industry 4.0 e sostenibilità tutto questo è Fava, “Tecnica Molitoria”, aprile 2021.
• Pollini C.M., THT Technology in the Modern Industrial Pasta Drying Process, “Pasta and Noodle Technology”, pp. 59-74, Edited by J.E. Kruger, R.B. Matsuo, J.W. Dick, ACCC 1996.
• Milatovic L. J. e Mondelli G., Pasta Technology Today, Chiriotti Editori, 1991.
• Marti A., Pagani M.A., Struttura e qualità della pasta di semola, “Pasta&Pastai”, 188, maggio 2022.
by Giuseppe Maria Durazzo Lawyer, expert in food law
Food law has shown little interest in the relationship between deforestation and forest degradation so far, but this topic will come to the forefront of sectoral legislation by entering into force as of 30 December 2024 and six months later for operators who were established as micro or small enterprises on 31 December 2020. From that day on, the “relevant commodities,” i.e. cattle, cocoa, coffee, oil palm, rubber, soya and wood, as well as the related “relevant products” (Table) will only be able to enter the EU, circulate there and possibly be exported if they comply with EU Regulation 2023/1115. In practice, the “operator,” i.e. the natural or legal person who places the products concerned on the market or exports them, in the course of a commercial activity, or the
“trader,” the person in the supply chain, other than the operator, who makes the products concerned available on the market in the course of a commercial activity, must ensure that the products concerned: a) are deforestation-free; b) have been produced in accordance with the relevant legislation of the country of production; and c) are accompanied by a due diligence statement. While the EU regulatory framework has now been outlined, details are currently missing; they are partly national details (and thus differing from one EU country to another) concerning the public infrastructure responsible for collecting declarations from economic operators, for the exchange of information between
countries and for the management, control and sanctioning process when enforcing the new regulation.
In order to achieve the objectives of the regulation, which are “to minimise the EU’s contribution to deforestation and forest degradation worldwide thus reducing global deforestation” as well as “to reduce the EU’s contribution to GHG emissions and
Extensive obligations are incumbent on the players in the supply chain
0102 21, 0102 29 Live cattle
ex 0201 Meat of cattle, fresh or chilled ex 0202 Meat of cattle, frozen ex 0206 10 Edible offal of cattle, fresh or chilled ex 0206 22 Edible cattle livers, frozen ex 0206 29 Edible cattle offal (excluding tongues and livers), frozen ex 1602 50 Other prepared or preserved meat, meat offal, blood, of cattle ex 4101 Raw hides and skins of cattle (fresh, or salted, dried, limed, pickled or otherwise preserved, but not tanned, parchment-dressed or further prepared), whether or not dehaired or split
ex 4104 Tanned or crust hides and skins of cattle, without hair on, whether or not split, but not further prepared ex 4107 Leather of cattle, further prepared after tanning or crusting, including parchmentdressed leather, without hair on, whether or not split, other than leather of heading 4114.
1801 Cacoa beans, whole or broken, raw or roasted
1802 Cocoa shells, husks, skins and other cocoa waste
1803 Cocoa paste, whether or not defatted
1804 Cocoa butter, fat and oil
1805 Cacoa powder, not containing added sugar or other sweetening matter
1806 Chocolate and other food containing cocoa.
0901 Coffee, whether or not roasted or decaffeinated; coffee husks and skins; coffee substitutes containing coffee in any proportion.
1207 10 Palm nuts and kernels
1511 Palm oil and its fractions, whether or not refined, but not chemically modified
1513 21 Crude palm kernel and babassu oil and fractions thereof, whether or not refined, but not chemically modified
1513 29 Palm kernel and babassu oil and their fractions, whether or not refined, but not chemically modified (excluding crude oil)
2306 60 Oilcake and other solid residues of palm nuts or kernels, whether or not ground or in the form of pellets, resulting from the extraction of palm nut or kernel fats or oils
ex 2905 45 Glycerol, with a purity of 95% or more (calculated on the weight of the dry product)
2915 70 Palmitic acid, stearic acid, their salts and esters
2915 90 Saturated acyclic monocarboxylic acids, their anhydrides, halides, peroxides and peroxyacids; their halogenated, sulphonated, nitrated or nitrosated derivatives (excluding formic acid, acetic acid, mono-, di- or trichloroacetic acids, propionic acid, butanoic acids, pentanoic acids, palmitic acid, stearic acid, their salts and esters, and acetic anhydride)
3823 11 Stearic acid, industrial
3823 12 Oleic acid, industrial
3823 19 Industrial monocarboxylic fatty acids; acid oils from refining (excluding stearic acid, oleic acid and tall oil fatty acids)
3823 70 Industrial fatty alcohols.
4001 Natural rubber, balata, gutta-percha, guayule, chicle and similar natural gums, in primary forms or in plates, sheets or strip
ex 4005 Compounded rubber, unvulcanised, in primary forms or in plates, sheets or strip
ex 4006 Unvulcanised rubber in other forms (e.g. rods, tubes and profile shapes) and articles (e.g. discs and rings)
ex 4007 Vulcanised rubber thread and cord
ex 4008 Plates, sheets, strips, rods and profile shapes, of vulcanised rubber other than hard rubber
ex 4010 Conveyers or transmission belts or belting, of vulcanised rubber
ex 4011 New pneumatic tyres, of rubber
ex 4012 Retreaded or used pneumatic tyres of rubber; solid or cushion tyres, tyre treads and tyre flaps, of rubber
ex 4013 Inner tubes, of rubber
ex 4015 Articles of apparel and clothing accessories (including gloves, mittens and mitts), for all purposes, of vulcanised rubber other than hard rubber
global biodiversity loss,” the legal mechanism introduces extensive obligations on every player in the supply chain of “relevant products,” partially eased for the SMEsi. The basic obligation is the
ex 4016 Other articles of vulcanised rubber other than hard rubber, not elsewhere specified in chapter 40 ex 4017 Hard rubber (e.g. ebonite) in all forms including waste and scrap; articles of hard rubber
1201 Soya beans, whether or not broken
1208 10 Soya bean flour
1507 Soya-bean oil and its fractions, whether or not refined, but not chemically modified
2304 Oilcake and other solid residues, whether or not ground or in the form of pellets, resulting from the extraction of soya-bean oil
4401 Fuel wood, in logs, in billets, in twigs, in faggots or in similar forms; wood in chips or particles; sawdust and wood waste and scrap, whether or not agglomerated in logs, briquettes, pellets or similar forms
4402 Wood charcoal (including shell or nut charcoal), whether or not agglomerated
4403 Wood in the rough, whether or not stripped of bark or sapwood, or roughly squared
4404 Hoopwood; split poles; piles, pickets and stakes of wood, pointed but not sawn lengthwise; wooden sticks, roughly trimmed but not turned, bent or otherwise worked, suitable for the manufacture of walking sticks, umbrellas, tool handles or the like; chipwood and the like
4405 Wood wool; wood flour
4406 Railway or tramway sleepers (cross-ties) of wood
4407 Wood sawn or chipped lengthwise, sliced or peeled, whether or not planed, sanded or end-jointed, of a thickness exceeding 6 mm
4408 Sheets for veneering (including those obtained by slicing laminated wood), for plywood or for other similar laminated wood and other wood, sawn lengthwise, sliced or peeled, whether or not planed, sanded, spliced or end-jointed, of a thickness not exceeding 6 mm
4409 Wood (including strips and friezes for parquet flooring, not assembled) continuously shaped (tongued, grooved, rebated, chamfered, V-jointed, beaded, moulded, rounded or the like) along any of its edges, ends or faces, whether or not planed, sanded or end-jointed
4410 Particle board, oriented strand board (OSB) and similar board (for example, waferboard) of wood or other ligneous materials, whether or not agglomerated with resins or other organic binding substances
4411 Fibreboard of wood or other ligneous materials, whether or not bonded with resins or other organic substances
4412 Plywood, veneered panels and similar laminated wood
4413 Densified wood, in blocks, plates, strips or profile shapes
4414 Wooden frames for paintings, photographs, mirrors or similar objects
4415 Packing cases, boxes, crates, drums and similar packings, of wood; cable-drums of wood; pallets, box pallets and other load boards, of wood; pallet collars of wood (not including packing material used exclusively as packing material to support, protect or carry another product placed on the market)
4416 Casks, barrels, vats, tubs and other coopers’ products and parts thereof, of wood, including staves
4417 Tools, tool bodies, tool handles, broom or brush bodies and handles, of wood; boot or shoe lasts and trees, of wood
4418 Builders’ joinery and carpentry of wood, including cellular wood panels, assembled flooring panels, shingles and shakes
4419 Tableware and kitchenware, of wood
4420 Wood marquetry and inlaid wood; caskets and cases for jewellery or cutlery, and similar articles, of wood; statuettes and other ornaments, of wood; wooden articles of furniture not falling in Chapter 94
4421 Other articles of wood
Pulp and paper of chapters 47 and 48 of the Combined Nomenclature, with the exception of bamboo-based and recovered (waste and scrap) products ex 49 Printed books, newspapers, pictures and other products of the printing industry, manuscripts, typescripts and plans, of paper ex 9401 Seats (other than those of heading 9402), whether or not convertible into beds, and parts thereof, of wood
9403 30, 9403 40, 9403 50, 9403 60 e 9403 91 Wooden furniture, and parts thereof
9406 10 Prefabricated buildings of wood
exercise of due diligence (with a relevant “due diligence statement”), before placing any product on the market, not only when placing it on the market for the first time, but also in every act
of “supply a relevant product for distribution, consumption or use on the Union market in the course of a commercial activity, whether in return for payment or free of charge.” In the information chain,
the operator communicates to operators and to traders further down the supply chain of the “relevant products” he placed on the market or exported all information necessary to demonstrate that due diligence was exercised and that no or only negligible risk was found. While operators that are SMEs (“SME operators”) shall not be required to exercise due diligence for “relevant products” contained in or made from “relevant products” that have already been subject to due diligence, operators that are not SME’s may refer to due diligence statements that have
Information that operators shall collect and keep include a description of relevant products, the quantity, the country of production, the geolocation of all plots of land where the relevant commodities were produced, the date or time range of production (knowing that any deforestation on the given plots of land where production took place shall disqualify the relevant product from being placed on the market), the contact details of suppliers and customers, “conclusive and verifiable” information that the relevant products are deforestation-free, “conclusive and verifiable” information that the “relevant commodities” have been produced in accordance with the
relevant legislationii of the country of production, including any arrangement conferring the right to use the respective area for the purposes of the production of the “relevant commodity.” The information stated above shall be verified and analysed in order to carry out a risk assessmentiii and establish whether there is a risk that the relevant products intended to be placed on the market or exported are noncompliant. Therefore, operators “shall not place the relevant products on the market or export them, except where the risk assessment reveals no or only a negligible risk that the relevant products are non-compliant.” The “risk mitigation” procedure includes the mandatory implementation (except for SMEs) of independent audits as well as the adoption of “adequate and proportionate policies, controls and procedures to mitigate and manage effectively the identified risks of non-compliance,” through model risk management practices, reporting, record-keeping, etc. Among the tools that operators can use there is “a description of the process of consultation of indigenous peoples, local communities and other customary tenure rights holders or of the civil society organisations that are present in the area of production
already submitted for the product only after having ascertained that the due diligence relating to the “relevant products” contained in or made from the “relevant products” was exercised in accordance with the regulation. The due diligence shall include: a) the collection of information, data and documents needed to fulfil information requirements and b) risk assessment measures.
Information must be verified for risk assessment
of the relevant commodities and relevant products.”
Operators’ subsequent obligations include the fact that they shall establish and keep up to date a framework of procedures and measures to ensure the compliance, shall review the due diligence system at least once a year, draw up a report on their due diligence system, including measures implemented to fulfil their obligations, and publicly report it as widely as possible, including via the internet. A “simplified due diligence” will apply for operators who place relevant products on the market and export them; they shall not be required to fulfil the obligations of risk assessment and mitigation if, after having assessed the complexity of the relevant supply chain and the risk of circumvention of this regulation or the risk of mixing with products of unknown origin or origin in high-risk or standard-risk countries or parts thereof, they have ascertained that all relevant commodities and relevant products have been produced in countries or parts thereof that were classified as low
risk. In such cases, “the operator shall make available to the competent authority upon request relevant documentation demonstrating that there is a negligible risk of circumvention of this regulation or of mixing with products of unknown origin or origin in high-risk or standard-risk countries or parts thereof.”
forbidden to suggest consumers that the food possesses “special characteristics when in fact all similar foods possess such characteristics.”
The relationship between private certification of conformity to principles that partly overlap with those imposed by the EU regulation and legal obligations on deforestation may be synergic if voluntary certification is not in contrast with legal obligations. This possible synergy will have to be managed, if any, according to the general rules in particular when it comes to correct information to consumers; let us consider, otherwise, the provisions of Article 7 of EU Regulation 1169/2011 with regard to fair information practices where it is
If, on the one hand, the regulation does not seem to simplify the activities of SMEs, on the other hand, it does not even allow for simplifications for the time being, e.g. for intra-group trade of products at country level or, even more so at EU level, forcing many identical activities for the same product. On-line trade in “relevant products” will also be subject to the rule as clarified in recital 30 of the Regulation, even if the topic is not legally addressed.
From the point of view of the reader of the regulation, I must point out the use of the term “due diligence” - as in other regulations, mainly recent. By using almost contradictory terms (due diligence as an obligation established by law to do somethingiv that is associated with diligence such as “Careful and scrupulous care, thoughtful accuracy in exercising diligence”v), the due diligence goes beyond the concept used in Italian, i.e. “diligence as a conscientious father would use” (where in terms
The regulatoion does not seem to simplify the activities of SMEs
of private law an evaluative criterion of a behaviour is provided), regulating and measuring (also for sanctioning purposes) a compulsory behaviour, which already requires a level of adherence at least sufficient to fulfil the obligation set by EU Regulation 2023/1115. While on the one hand the diligence seems to serve to enforce obligations which are partially uncertain, partly because of the EU lawmaker’s self-referentiality with regards to the sovereignty and legislation of non-EU countries, on the other hand it lends itself to introducing a grey area that bears little resemblance to the basic principle of the rule of law. In my opinion, the powerful new obligations resonate like a voice in a vacuum, given that the EU’s self-determination - which is
References:
i Categories of undertakings and groups according to Article 3 of EU Directive 2013/34:
1. In applying one or more of the options in Article 36, Member States shall define microundertakings as undertakings which on their balance sheet dates do not exceed the limits of at least two of the three following criteria:
a) balance sheet total: EUR 350 000;
b) net turnover: EUR 700 000;
c) average number of employees during the financial year: 10.
2. Small undertakings shall be undertakings which on their balance sheet dates do not exceed the limits of at least two of the three following criteria:
a
) balance sheet total: EUR 4 000 000;
b) net turnover: EUR 8 000 000;
c) average number of employees during the financial year: 50.
Member States may define thresholds exceeding the thresholds in points (a) and (b). However, the thresholds shall not exceed EUR 6 000 000 for the balance sheet total and EUR 12 000 000 for the net turnover.
3. Medium-sized undertakings shall be undertakings which are not micro-undertakings or small undertakings and which on their balance sheet dates do not exceed the limits of at least two of the three following criteria:
a) balance sheet total: EUR 20 000 000;
b) net turnover: EUR 40 000 000;
c) average number of employees during the financial year: 250
ii relevant legislation of the country of production: laws applicable in the country of production concerning the legal status of the area of production in terms of:
a) land use rights;
b) environment protection;
not much followed by other countries, at least for the time being - seems supposed to create obvious distortions in the global market, to the detriment of EU companies; this will also affect companies that do not directly
c) forest-related rules, including forest management and biodiversity conservation, where directly related to wood harvesting;
d) third parties’ rights;
e) labour rights;
f) human rights protected under international law;
g) the principle of free, prior and informed consent, including as set out in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples;
h) tax, anti-corruption, trade and customs regulations.
iii According to Article 10 of the Regulation, the risk assessment takes into account, in particular, the following criteria:
(
a) the assignment of risk to the relevant country of production or parts thereof in accordance with Article 29;
(
b) the presence of forests in the country of production or parts thereof;
(
c) the presence of indigenous peoples in the country of production or parts thereof;
(d) the consultation and cooperation in good faith with indigenous peoples in the country of production or parts thereof;
(e) the existence of duly reasoned claims by indigenous peoples based on objective and verifiable information regarding the use or ownership of the area used for the purpose of producing the relevant commodity;
(f) prevalence of deforestation or forest degradation in the country of production or parts thereof;
(
g) the source, reliability, validity, and links to other available documentation of the information referred to in Article 9(1);
(h) concerns in relation to the country of production and origin or parts thereof, such as level of corruption, prevalence of document and data falsification, lack of law enforcement,
handle the relevant products, but use pallets of other people’s production, brochures or commercial material printed on paper, and more.
Giuseppe Maria Durazzoviolations of international human rights, armed conflict or presence of sanctions imposed by the UN Security Council or the Council of the European Union;
(i) the complexity of the relevant supply chain and the stage of processing of the relevant products, in particular difficulties in connecting relevant products to the plot of land where the relevant commodities were produced;
(j) the risk of circumvention of this regulation or of mixing with relevant products of unknown origin or produced in areas where deforestation or forest degradation has occurred or is occurring;
(k) conclusions of the meetings of the Commission expert groups supporting the implementation of this regulation, as published in the Commission’s expert group register;
(l) substantiated indications submitted under Article 31, and information on the history of noncompliance of operators or traders along the relevant supply chain;
(m) any information that would point to a risk that the relevant products are non-compliant;
(n) complementary information on compliance with this regulation, which may include information supplied by certification or other third-party verified schemes, including voluntary schemes recognised by the Commission under Article 30(5) of Directive (EU) 2018/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council (21), provided that the information meets the requirements set out in Article 9 of this regulation.
iv https://www.treccani.it/vocabolario/ricerca/ debenza/ last accessed on 18 June 2023.
v https://www.treccani.it/vocabolario/ricerca/ diligenza/ last accessed on 18 June 2023.
The decision to expand investments in the country is another milestone in Bühler Group’s long and fruitful relationship with India. It is a journey that started 30 years ago when Bühler India was founded in Bengaluru in the presence of the then Swiss Ambassador to India and Bühler’s then CFO, Philipp Müller. Over this time, Bühler India has become one of Bühler Group’s leading global technology centers with manufacturing infrastructure, research and development teams, application centers, and training facilities. Bühler India, which employes 600 people today, is manufacturing high-quality grain and food
processing equipment for customers across the country and abroad. In future it will further expand its core product portfolio
for the feed and advanced materials industries. Bühler India’s business has been growing by more than 10% over the past
three years. In August 2022, Bühler India took a major step in expanding its local production by manufacturing Sortex color sorters. This move enables the grains and food industries in the country to have easy access to this key technology, which contributes to food quality and safety. The company also provides retrofitting and refurbishing services for existing Sortex machines.
Bühler is taking its business in India to the next level by expanding the range of products it manufactures to include equipment for the country’s growing milling industry. The company has already started the production of its Plansifter Arenit™ & Purifier Norit™, a key component in the flour production process that sifts and sorts grist and flour in wheat, rye, maize, and durum mills. Other core machines such as purifiers and roller mills are also in the pipeline and scheduled to be available to customers in 2024. Bühler India will continue to expand its core product portfolios
going forward to include the feed and advanced materials industries. With this plan, Bühler India aims to strengthen its position as a leading provider of state-of-the-art solutions for the grain milling industry. Currently, Bühler India’s 32,000 square meter premises in Bengaluru comprise the company’s headquarters, a manufacturing hub, and an Application & Training Center (ATC) which covers multiple industrial applications. The ATC provides a platform for customers to conduct product and equipment trials, optimize processes, and conduct training across all operational levels - for mill proprietors, managers, and operators.
“With these new solutions produced in India, customers will benefit in multiple ways: shorter delivery times, increased supply chain efficiency, and an improved CO2e footprint for their equipment,” says Johannes Wick, CEO Grains & Food at Bühler Group.
Prashant Gokhale, Managing Director, Bühler India, says: “We
are celebrating the 30 th anniversary of Bühler India with a strong business case. We plan to invest about CHF 21 million (INR 200 crores) over the next 2 to 3 years to support the success of our customers in the region and
overseas. It will accelerate new business opportunities and create new jobs, while contributing solutions to address global challenges such as food security and food safety. This investment is not only about growth; it is about combining Bühler’s stateof-the-art technologies with local expertise to offer the most sustainable processes and solutions to our customers.”
For this journey, Bühler not only counts on the expertise and engagement of its teams but supports the development of its talents in a consistent and pragmatic way.
The company has more than 100 years of history of vocational training, preparing young adults for a career in a global company such as Bühler or beyond.
Bühler India adopted an apprenticeship program in 2009.
The Bühler Academy in Bengaluru develops young talent with highquality vocational training. To date, about 200 apprentices have graduated from the Academy and around 80 are currently in training. Five different base programs (from entry level to graduate apprentice), along with the Swiss Vocational Education and Training (VET) program, and an Apprentice Exchange Program are offered to the apprentices. All these programs comprise a carefully evaluated course module and follow a combination of theoretical knowledge and
practical training. The growth plans also include investments in new talents for Bühler India. There is a program in place to hire about 300 employees over the next 2 to 3 years.
“Without our employees we could not have achieved this new milestone in manufacturing in India for India. Therefore, we sincerely thank our teams for the 30 years of engagement and hard work. We move ahead with energy and commitment to keep adding value to our customers, teams, partners, and the country,” says Prashant Gokhale.
AXOR is a leading company specialized in the design, manufacturing, and installation of automatic and continuous lines for dry pasta production. With more than 170 installed references worldwide and 30 years of experience, AXOR is one of the key players in this business area.
Our commitment to excellence extends far beyond the initial phases of production. With a wealth of experience and an unwavering dedication to customer satisfaction, AXOR Spare Parts Division has emerged as the ultimate destination for top-notch spare parts and technical assistance across the globe.
Discover a world of possibilities within our extensive inventory. Whether you seek Short-Cut and Long-Cut TVS presses and traditional presses, Shakers with Energy Saving Technology (patented), pre-dryers and main dryers for Short-Cut and LongCut, Short-Cut coolers with external cooling units, high-speed mixers with dosing systems, compression groups, spreaders for Short-Cut dryers, or Short-Cut Storage Silos, AXOR has you covered.
Our commitment to providing versatile solutions is matched only by our dedication to ensuring the highest quality.
Behind every successful endeavor stands a dedicated team. At AXOR, our team comprises engineers, technologists, and specialized technicians who possess a deep reservoir of knowledge and expertise. Whether you require assistance with equipment erection,
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AXOR is one of the leading companies all around the world in the engineering, manufacturing, and installation of equipment for the production of dry pasta (shortcut pasta and long-cut pasta, specially shaped pasta, couscous, instant pasta, quick cook pasta, Asiatic noodle, gluten-free pasta), pellet, and snacks. The company is located in Cento, Italy, and represents a “tailor-made” solution provider, as adapts the standard production lines to Customers’ requirements depending on their needs in terms of space at their facilities. Since the company was founded in 1990, more than 150 pasta lines and equipment were designed and installed all over the world. AXOR offers complete turn-key pasta manufacturing line projects, including packaging systems, raw material filling systems, storage, erection, installation, and commissioning.
If you were going to advertise Italian pasta in an all-American way, why not use baseball as the way to do it? That’s exactly what Oregon Macaroni Manufacturing Company did in 1941 when they sponsored a baseball team in the American Legion junior baseball league.1 Indeed, it was a wellcoached team with a winning record.2-3 Since baseball was widely popular at the time, particularly in Portland, this “step up to the plate” in the marketing arena landed a home run, resulting in a winning play for Oregon Macaroni.
Oregon Macaroni Manufacturing Company was founded in early 1900 by sister and brother Domenica Blandino and Salvino Orso.4 According to legend, upon arriving in Portland, Oregon and discovering her new hometown had no good supply of macaroni, Domenica sent an urgent request for her brother to come to the United States so they could start a macaroni company.5 Salvino arrived in 1905 from Turin, Italy.6 The company was originally on Front Street in Portland, and had a capacity of 2,000 pounds (907 kilograms) per day.7 It moved to 67
East 8th Street North and had a major expansion, complete with electricity and new state of the art equipment, bringing the daily capacity up to 15,000 pounds (6,804 kilograms).8-9 They also boasted the development of their own specialized drying technology, which they claimed set their products apart from the competition.10 They made macaroni, noodles, vermicelli and spaghetti, which were the typical pasta products for the time and offered their products in Northwestern United States and Alaska.11-12 Originally, they sold
under the “Oregon” brand.13 Later, they added “Best-Ever”, made from durum semolina and “Krinkles” egg noodles.14 In 1917, they became a founding member of the Northwestern Macaroni Manufacturers Association of Tacoma, Washington.15 The “purpose of the organization [was] to promote social welfare of the members and to work for better pure food laws.”16 During World War I, they tried using flour made from potatoes due to rationing restrictions on wheat, which was impacting their ability to reach their production requirements.17 In 1966, Golden Grain Macaroni Company purchased it and ran it for several years as a subsidiary.18 At the time of purchase, it was considered a small manufacturer.19
macaroni-factory. Note – The article says Dominique Blandino and her brother Dominic, but United States Census Records from the time list Domenica Blandino and her brother Salvino Orso.
5. Ibid.
6. United States 1910 Census. Note – Domenica immigrated to the United States in 1897, which was in the early wave of Italian immigrations, and Salvino in 1905.
1. ”Junior Baseball To Make Debut Wednesday Eve”, Albany Democrat-Herald, Albany, Oregon, volume LXXIV, number 253 (June 10, 1941), page 8.
2. Ibid.
3. ”Portland Nine And Movers To Meet Tonight”, Albany Democrat-Herald, volume LXXIV, number 254, June 11, 1941, page 8.
4. Ko Ricker, “You Could Live in an Old Portland macaroni Factory”, Monthly Portland, Portland, Oregon (December 6, 2016), https://www.pdxmonthly.com/home-and-realestate/2016/12/you-could-live-in-an-old-portland-
7. “Macaroni Firm Was Established In 1901”, Medford Mail Tribune, Medford, Oregon, 27th year, number 205 (November 18, 1932), page 9.
8. Ibid.
9. ”Notes of the Macaroni Industry, Increased Plant Capacity”, The Macaroni Journal, National Macaroni Manufacturers Association, volume VII, number 4 (August 15, 1925), page 20.
10. “Macaroni Company Enjoys Best Trade In Years, Says Pick”, Oregon Daily Journal, Portland, Oregon, volume XVII, number 177 (December 7, 1918), page 9.
11. ”Best-Ever” advertisement, The Bend Bulletin, Bend, Oregon, volume XLVIII, number 3 (June 9, 1942), page 10.
12. H. S. Harcourt, “Nothing the Matter with Portland”, Oregon Daily Journal, volume XVI, number 6 (April 28, 1918), City Edition, section 1, page 8.
13. ”Oregon Macaroni Manufacturing Company”, The Oregon Country, The Chamber of Commerce Bulletin, volume XX, (May 1914), page 323.
14. Ibid.
15. ”Macaroni Trade Notes” Simmons’ Spice Mill, The Spice Mill Publishing Company, New York, New York, volume XL, number 9 (September 1917), page 1084.
16. Ibid.
17. Harcourt, “Nothing the Matter with Portland”.
18. “The DeDomenico Family: Growth of Golden Grain Company Through Innovation and Entrepreneurship”, an oral history conducted 1987-1989, Regional Oral History Office, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley (1994), pages 311-13, 358-59 and 364. Available online at https://digitalassets.lib.berkeley.edu/roho/ucb/text/ dedomenico_family__w.pdf.
19. Ibid., pages 60 and 312.
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