In brief, the scandal continues: the company—estimated to generate annual revenues of €200 million—keeps marketing meat products, the Ministry appears powerless, and consumers remain unaware.
Two days ago, on February 18, 2026, a further alert was issued concerning batches of meat marketed by Bervini, which must be withdrawn from the market as a precaution. The reason has not been disclosed.
The alert affected hundreds of restaurants, hotels, and catering facilities that had purchased 2.4 kg packs of frozen hamburgers imported from Canada. It is unclear whether other batches or other types of meat are involved. The expiration date on the hamburgers indicates July 2026.
Regarding the matter, the Ministry has acknowledged its limited leverage. In response to a request from Il Fatto Alimentare, the Ministry reiterated Bervini’s lack of cooperation in identifying the relevant batches and recipients.
“These difficulties are attributable to the fact that the processing activities related to the batches subject to alert notifications were carried out outside the official control system. However, the progressive acquisition of data has allowed for subsequent and targeted updates.”
The Ministry added that these were “batches subject to health restrictions and partially consumed.”
The Public Prosecutor’s Office is investigating. Bervini has reportedly stopped slaughtering but has continued to sell frozen meat, despite the seizure of one million 180-gram steaks by the ATS (local health authority). The destination of the non-seized meat remains unknown.
Part of the case reportedly involves frozen meat imported from countries such as Argentina and Uruguay, expired for months and resold in Italy. To this are now added the Canadian hamburgers.
Proper cooking remains critically important. See also: Why Burgers Should Not Be Eaten Rare.
