Italian Taste Police Coming to a Restaurant Near You

Italy is planning to introduce a system of quality control to guarantee the authenticity of Italian restaurants abroad.

Modelled on the certificates that assure the quality of Italian wines, the system should protect customers from soggy pasta, overcooked by ignorant foreign chefs.

The proposal was made by the Italian agriculture minister at a meeting of a cultural association in Rimini.

Giovanni Alemanno, a member of the rightwing National Alliance, said that Italian restaurants were suffering unfair competition from low-quality impostors.

"Hundreds of Italian restaurants are created around the world every day, but in most cases the only thing Italian about them is the name or a tricolour flag on display outside," Mr Alemanno told the meeting. He said the mark of approval would be administered in conjunction with Italy's restaurateurs' association.

Pasta correctly cooked so as to be al dente with ingredients that, at least in part, come from Italy will entitle restaurants to display the official certificate of authenticity.

The system will also encourage restaurants to act as shop windows for genuine Italian produce, which customers will be able to buy over the internet.

"A client who has just tasted a particular cheese or olive oil will then be able to buy that product via the internet directly from the producer," the minister said.

Given the number of Italian restaurants around the world, administration of the certification system could prove a demanding task. There should, however, be no difficulty in recruiting quality inspectors.