Napolina

How ethical is Napolina?

Napolina is a brand which has a below-benchmark score on The Good Shopping Guide’s Ethical Pasta, Pulses & Rice Ratings Table. Although Napolina has not yet met our ethical benchmark, we hope to see the brand make progress in the future.

We would have extra confidence in Napolina if it submitted itself to apply for Ethical Accreditation, whereby The Good Shopping Guide would make further detailed assessment and recommendations for ethical improvement.

Find out more about the ethical issues facing the Ethical Pasta, Pulses & Rice sector.

What does Napolina do?

Napolina meaning ‘little Naples’ was founded by Mario Iandorio in 1965 to make Italian foods more widely available.

In which areas does Napolina perform poorly?

Napolina’s parent company, Princes / Mitsubishi, is involved in GM and Nuclear Power businesses, so Napolina gets a bottom rating for these criteria.

Napolina was also marked down under our criteria for Organic as it does not produce any certified products. Find out more about how we rate by exploring our ethical criteria.

Past Criticisms of Napolina’s record

Napolina’s parent company, Princes, has become the latest firm linked with an investigation into labour abuses involving migrant workers who pick tomatoes in southern Italy for the British and European consumers.  Princes Industrie Alimentari, owned by Princes, buys tomatoes from De Rubertis, a supplier whose workers were described last October by Italian prosecutor Paola Guglielmi as labouring under “conditions of absolute exploitation”.

In which areas does Napolina score well for its ethics?

Napolina’s parent company, Princes Group, has a Sustainability Report called ‘Our Green Goals 2030’. Within the report, the company shares its targets to reduce carbon emissions, general waste and food waste, so Napolina gets a top score for its Environmental Report.

How can Napolina improve its ethical rating?

The below-benchmark score that Napolina is awarded on The Good Shopping Guide’s Ethical Pasta, Pulses & Rice Ratings Table is the result of an evaluation of multiple ethical criteria.

To reach our minimum ethical benchmark and qualify for Ethical Accreditation, Napolina has some issues to resolve, including  its use of GMO ingredients, and support for animal testing. If it applies for Ethical Accreditation, The Good Shopping Guide will be able to give Napolina some guidance to improve on these areas.

Were you aware that your brand could benefit from Ethical Accreditation? Brands accredited by The Good Shopping Guide can display our Ethical Mark, showcasing to consumers that it is an ethical and sustainable brand. If you’re interested in learning more, please contact us or complete a Free Initial Assessment form.