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The Underground Food Network

45' (GER, ENG subs)

Organized criminals have a found a new business venture: forging edible goods.

Anything that has a good reputation and fetches a high price can be forged. Though poisoning and death are common results of ingesting these illegally produced and often contaminated foods, those of the trade consider these outcomes small unavoidable hiccups of the business. The documentary accompanies investigators as they search for the manufacturers of counterfeit food. How is the criminal food network organized? Who is behind the making and distribution of the fake food? And what kinds of threat do German culprits pose?

Mozzarella cheese, cold cuts, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and liquor are but a few products that have already been forged. In January 2015, the police stormed a cheese factory in Salerno, South Italy, whose main product - buffalo mozzarella – is known to be freshly and traditionally manufactured. However, what the investigators discovered had little to do with the original EU-approved product. The alleged “mozzarella” was made from a mixture of rotten mozzarella and East European cheese produced with cow’s milk. To complete the process, the cheese is sprayed with corrosive acid so as to appear fresh and placed in a truck usually used to burn garbage to imitate the typical smoky taste. 


Pictures © WDR

  • Screener

    Screener - German with English Subtitles
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Facts

  • Original Title
    Die Lebensmittel-Mafia – Wie gepanschte Nahrung in unsere Läden kommt
  • Year
    2017
  • Length
    45' (GER, ENG subs)
  • Resolution
    HD
  • Film by
    Thomas G. Becker
  • Produced by
  • Screener

    Screener - German with English Subtitles
    You will need to login in order to watch Screener!