The war of the orecchiette, Mrs. Nunzia of Bari Vecchia and the regulation approved by the Puglia Region
The orecchiette handmade by the women of Bari Vecchia are now in accordance with the law. The Puglia regional council has approved a regulation that extends the community guidelines on the hygiene of food produced in private homes, the so-called Home Food – Home Restaurant. After all, the orecchiette – or rather, the strascenate – they are home-made food par excellence, at least in Puglia. If it is Sunday, it is a must to pour semolina and flour on a pastry board, to work a half kilo of orecchiette to dip in the sauce. With this regulation Puglia puts an end to orecchiette war, which started on January 24th.
The press release of the Region
The regional government announced the new regulatory criteria in a press release. "The preparation and administration of food at premises mainly used as private homes," reads the premise of the resolution, "is an activity that is becoming increasingly common both in Europe and in Italy. Although the quantity of food produced and administered through this new type of food business is not high, the incorrect application of EU and national legislation on food safety can be a significant public health problem . The text therefore refers to EU legislation, but remains focused on enhancing the typical features and safeguarding the domestic traditions of Puglia. However, the resolution leaves the commercial aspect of the business unexplored: how much can be produced and the limits of operations. This theme is delegated to other administrations, but without specifying which ones.
The new rules
According to the community guidelines of the EC Reg. 178/2002, it is defined food business "The regular preparation in the domestic environment of foods not intended for private domestic consumption but for placing on the market for commercial purposes, including administration at the same house". So anyone who wants to sell homemade orecchiette will have to make himself available to any inspection. The presence of an administration or food sale activity must be reported on the doorbell. In addition, the activity must be reported to the health authorities. Practically, in making the orecchiette it will be necessary to guarantee the hygienic conditions of the rooms: for example, there must be a sink equipped with hot and cold water not manually operated. Procedures compliant with the production and storage of the pasta must be respected, as well as a label explaining what type of product it is, the date of purchase and expiry. It is assumed that those who produce have received adequate training and that they keep all the commercial documentation (for example, on the purchase of raw materials), to be shown in the event of checks.
"Call it a crime of pasta"
It all started in January 2020. The seizure of three kilos of fresh pasta in a restaurant in Bari, had raised a fuss so high that it even moved the "New York Times". In the piece by Jason Horowitz, Call it a crime of pasta, the incident was told. On January 24, the newspaper invited Puglia, represented by the legendary Nunzia Caputo, the woman symbol of the bass of Bari Vecchia where the orecchiette are born. Also with her was the mayor of Bari, Antonio Decaro. From 24 to 26 January the region was present at the event with a 36 square meter stand. Here, in addition to telling the beauty of the area, Mrs. Nunzia delighted visitors with continuous masterclasses of handmade orecchiette. "It was beautiful," says Signora Nunzia on the phone. «We made a bang with that trip. Before they said to me, Nunzia, are you always here? I say: ve vènghe iì a acchià! Too bad that the coronavirus blocked us. After New York there were many things at stake … ". Ms. Nunzia skeptically looks at the regulation approved by the Region, she says it is complicated. Many pasta makers initially rebelled. "In our village we are used to the house and shop, not just the shop, where you work, do yours and then go away," she explains. «I'm trying to respect all the rules, but it's not easy. Then we of the petticoats are more exposed. There are those who make the orecchiette "behind the scenes" … It was the heat of selling that damaged us when we wanted to add tarallino and dolcetto to the pasta. If we had remained anonymous, this would not have happened. "
Text by Stefania Leo
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