“The media report that "Italian" tomato purées are being made using Chinese forced-labour-grown tomatoes has rightly been a shock for English consumers. Unfortunately, exploitation has been shown to be a part of the Italian tomato industry. In recent years investigations have established that South Italian producers have been found to take advantage of migrant labourers – mainly from Africa and Eastern Europe – who are forced to work in conditions that have also been described as modern slavery.

Despite the strong association between Italy and tomatoes for most English consumers, tomatoes are not in fact native to Europe. They have only been grown here following the conquest of Mexico in the sixteenth century, where they're naturally from. In the seventeenth century, English aristocrats grew them as a novelty 'flower' because of their rarity and bright colours. Today, in contrast, they can be found in every grocer and supermarket, thanks to the global food chains supplying Britain with fresh produce. Over recent years the international systems supporting the sale of tomatoes (and other foods) in England have repeatedly come into question, famously with the sudden absence of 'salad vegetables' from supermarkets in February of last year.

The Italian tomato industry continues to make billions for producers each year. This recent report makes clear that it is exploited labourers across the globe who pay the true price. The cold, northern climate means we're dependant on imports to eat tomatoes in the UK, but evidently more attention needs to be paid to who exactly is growing our produce and the conditions they are forced to work in.”