Near the front of practically every Italian deli in the Northeast has the same red can arranged in neat columns. Cento. For many years, the label, which features a tiny medallion that reads “Certified San Marzano,” has served as a sort of shortcut for home cooks who don’t want to give pasta sauce much thought. You pick up the can, believe the label, and proceed. A $25 million class-action lawsuit filed in California this week centers on that quiet trust, and as the story develops, it’s difficult not to feel as though an old and unresolved issue has finally come to light.
Andrich and Gianne, two shoppers from California, claim that Cento Fine Foods has been engaging in what their attorneys are calling “tomato fraud”—a term you don’t often see in court filings. When the legal language is removed, their argument is rather straightforward. They claim that the Campania-based Italian consortium is the only organization authorized to certify a San Marzano tomato. The filing claims that Cento was a part of that consortium until its expulsion due to fraud in 2011. However, the can still has the word “Certified” on it. This is deemed misleading by the lawsuit. Naturally, Cento disputes it.
| Information | Details |
|---|---|
| Company Name | Cento Fine Foods, Inc. |
| Founded | 1963 |
| Headquarters | West Deptford, New Jersey, United States |
| Founder | Gennaro Ciccone |
| Industry | Italian specialty food importer and distributor |
| Flagship Product | Cento Certified San Marzano Whole Peeled Tomatoes |
| Lawsuit Filed | May 2026, U.S. District Court, California |
| Plaintiffs | Two California residents (Andrich and Gianne) |
| Damages Sought | $25 million class-action compensation |
| Core Allegation | False advertising, misleading “Certified San Marzano” labeling |
| Italian DOP Authority | Il Consorzio di Tutela del Pomodoro San Marzano DOP |
| Cento’s Certifying Body | Agri-Cert (independent third-party agency) |
| Year Cento Was Removed from Consortium | 2011 |
| Previous Similar Lawsuit | Filed in 2019 |
| Region of Authentic San Marzano | Agro Sarnese-Nocerino, Campania, Italy |
Reading the complaint gives the impression that the plaintiffs are not particularly upset about a few extra dollars at the register. Something more ethereal irritates them. The lawsuit compares it to Champagne, which is only permitted to be produced in one area of France. The lawsuit maintains that San Marzanos operate in the same manner. They must originate from the volcanic soil close to Mount Vesuvius, be processed, and be canned in a specific area. Agri-Cert, the third-party organization Cento mentions, is legitimate. The court will eventually have to decide whether it has the same weight as the Italian consortium.
It’s not just the legal details that make this case intriguing. It’s the surrounding cultural texture. For the past 20 years, American supermarkets have promoted authenticity as a high-end product, complete with Italian flags, raised seals, and unreadable small print. In many respects, Cento contributed to the development of that style. The family-run business has been in operation since 1963, and for a considerable amount of time, chefs on cooking shows casually suggested the brand. Similar issues were brought up in a 2019 lawsuit that eventually faded. This one seems louder, in part because it comes at a time when consumers are becoming more dubious about everything from “organic” to “artisan” to “imported.”
The outcome of the case is still unknown. Cento is equipped to fight. The story of the plaintiffs is sympathetic. The typical consumer sits somewhere in the middle, holding a can while standing in aisle seven and suddenly not understanding what the small print actually means. As you watch this unfold, you get the impression that the discussion it has sparked is more important than the outcome. A certain willingness to avoid asking too many questions has always been essential to the romance surrounding Italian cuisine in America. Like the tomato itself, that willingness might not be as strong as it once was.
