Story perspectives

California Residents Sue Cento Over Misleading San Marzano Label

5/7/2026

Summary

Cento sued over labeling

Two California residents sued Cento Fine Foods, claiming its Certified San Marzano label misrepresents the tomatoes.
Plaintiffs say the tomatoes lack the thicker wall, fewer seeds, and lower acidity of true San Marzano varieties.
Cento says its Agri-Cert certified produce, traceable to Campania, meets standards and that it will vigorously defend the meritless claims.

Summary

Cento Trace Lawsuit

Cento Fine Foods’ website lets shoppers trace canned tomatoes to specific fields in Italy’s Sarnese-Nocerino area.
San Marzano tomatoes have EU DOP protection, which legally requires cultivation exclusively in that Campania region.
The lawsuit cites a Martha Stewart blog post calling Cento’s canned tomatoes the “Ferrari or Prada” of the category, highlighting premium-quality expectations.

Summary

Cento Labeling Suit

The suit relies on California’s Unfair Competition Law and Consumer Legal Remedies Act to challenge false labeling of Consortium-certified San Marzano tomatoes.
The complaint seeks $500 restitution per plaintiff, a $10,000 award, and $500,000 attorney fees, while Cento Fine Foods’ lawyers aim for a dismissal citing a New York win.
A judge in the 2020 dismissal said a consumer would not prefer Consortium-certified tomatoes over comparable third-party certified products.

History

Historical Context

After the EU introduced a unified PDO system in 1992 to protect terroir-linked foods, it granted San Marzano tomatoes PDO status in 1996, tying the product to Campania’s soil. The European Commission now oversees such designations, while Cent o Fine Foods faces a California lawsuit alleging false labeling under state consumer-protection laws, testing how U.S. courts apply EU origin rules.

1 of 4

Cento sued over labeling

Two California residents sued Cento Fine Foods, claiming its Certified San Marzano label misrepresents the tomatoes.
Plaintiffs say the tomatoes lack the thicker wall, fewer seeds, and lower acidity of true San Marzano varieties.
Cento says its Agri-Cert certified produce, traceable to Campania, meets standards and that it will vigorously defend the meritless claims.

1 / 4