Coffee Lavazza: how to distinguish the original from the fake

Hello, dear friends! The morning of many people begins with a cup of aromatic coffee. But, having bought a package of new and high-quality coffee in the evening, severe disappointment sets in in the morning. It's simple. Instead of a genuine drink, I got a cheap fake. The most offensive thing is when this product is not cheap. And my favorite brand too. Today we are talking about Lavazza coffee - how to distinguish the original from the fake.

The scammers' task is extremely simple. Earn maximum by investing minimum. For this they use cheap raw materials, but they try to package them in good packaging. Such that the buyer has no doubt about originality.

It is impossible to repeat the packaging 100%. And it’s pointless to even talk about the taste and aroma of expensive coffee. Therefore, the main emphasis is on external similarity.

Unfortunately, most people don't even pay attention to the details. Confidence in the originality of the product, as well as the safety of the store, can play a cruel joke.

How to spot a fake

The first thing you need to pay attention to is the packaging of the product. The original packaging retains its correct shape even after transportation. The absence of a crease on the end side is not a reliable sign of the originality of the product, but its presence absolutely confirms that it is a fake.

We recommend buying original Lavazza coffee here

The method of marking indicating the date and time of production, the taste and aroma of the freshly prepared drink are also assessed. Fake coffee may have an earthy flavor due to the use of low-quality robusta.

Lavazza Qualita Oro appeared on the Russian market relatively recently in new packaging. Its distinctive features:

• On the front side there is a black and red stripe along the central vertical lines of the packaging.
• The color of the packaging is darker than before.
• Now there is no information about the degree of roasting, but the strength and taste are described.
• Updated pictures showing cooking methods.

More often, coffee is counterfeited in 1 kg packs. Despite this, you need to check every pack. The absence of an indication of the production time on the package is a sign of counterfeit.

What gives away a fake

Imagine a gourmet breakfast. This is a fresh baguette, spread with butter, and red caviar is laid on top. Or maybe even black caviar. Chicken eggs are also boiled hard-boiled or soft-boiled. The cup emits the aroma of fresh coffee.

But in the end, it may turn out that instead of caviar there is a cheap imitation, the eggs are completely made synthetically, and instead of butter, at best, margarine. And all this is more than possible in our time. Counterfeit food products are on the rise. And the buyers themselves have to deal with this. How? Just don’t take such products and also check their authenticity.

The question about Lavazza coffee, how to distinguish a fake, is becoming more and more common among people. This is explained simply. Counterfeits have poured into the Russian market and are also actively spreading in the CIS countries.

This damages the reputation of the manufacturer, and also causes financial damage to stores through which counterfeit goods are sold.

Therefore, let's talk about how to distinguish Lavazza Oro coffee from a fake, as well as other varieties.

You can do this by:

• grinding;
• valve;
• packaging;
• bottom cut;
• text;
• sticker;
• fold lines;
• production date;
• appearance of brewed coffee.

Further details about Lavazza coffee - how to distinguish a fake.

Grinding

The Italian company offers several options for grinding coffee.

This is not to say that this is the most obvious sign. But if possible, be sure to check before purchasing.

In fact, there are 3 factions:

• Small fraction
  . Varieties such as Espresso, Qualita Rossa and Decaffeinato are ground into it;
• Average
  . These are Club and Qualita Oro;
• Large
  . Gran Riserva and Crema Gusto are distinguished by their large fraction.

Yes, these are not all varieties. But the main varieties.

What will the valve say?

The next point is related to the valve. From this you can understand that the purchased Lavazza coffee is fake.

The original always has a special ventilation valve.

The scammers themselves know this fact. That’s why they are trying to make a valve of the same type. But it is not always possible to provide an exact copy.

The most obvious sign of a fake valve is the absence of a name on the manufacturer's product. If the valve does not have the inscription Goglio Luigi Milano, draw a conclusion. This is not real coffee. It is not advisable to buy such a product.

Let's look at the packaging

You can tell that Lavazza coffee is fake by looking at the packaging.

The packaging quality of the original products is high. Surpasses even the most sophisticated fakes. The manufacturer uses modern and also expensive equipment. An important nuance is that Lavazza produces the packaging themselves and does not order from third-party manufacturers.

All packs are even. There is no deformation on the sides or corners.

Most counterfeits do not contain corrugated cardboard for making shipping containers. This is due to the fact that cardboard manufacturers do not want to deal with scammers. Therefore, it is worth asking the seller to show the original shipping box. This is a normal requirement from the consumer.

The information on the box must be the same as on each package. The time range during which the product was manufactured must match.

Speaking of Qualita Oro. Relatively recently, this type of coffee entered the Russian market in new packaging. Differs in the following points:

• on the front side along the central vertical line on the packaging there is always a black-red stripe;
• the packaging itself received a darker shade compared to the previous version;
• the degree of roasting is not used;
• instead of roasting, the taste and strength of the drink are indicated;
• We've updated the instruction images that recommend making coffee.

There is another important point regarding how to distinguish Lavazza coffee from a fake. This is a packaging option.

The most counterfeited is coffee weighing 1 kilogram. Such packaging is the most profitable to counterfeit. But counterfeit small packs are rare. It is simply not profitable for fraudsters to spend large resources on small packages.

But this does not mean that any pack less than 1 kilogram is always original.

Bottom cut

The packaging of the original has another characteristic feature. This is the bottom cut.

Notice how the packaging is cut at the bottom. If there's a wavy line there, that's a good sign. But fakes are usually cut straight. This is how they reveal their illegal origin.

So remember. The real cut at the bottom is always wavy. For copies it is even.

Typos

Another point that is not always paid attention to. These are typos.

For example, the official address of the manufacturer’s website is often misspelled. Instead of Lavazza they write lawazza.com. They also make mistakes in the names of coffee varieties. Just compare the data from the official website with what the seller in the store offers if you doubt the authenticity of the product.

Also, scammers may simply fail to indicate the weight. For example, with a coffee weight of 2200 grams they write 2.2. But for fakes they can write 22000 and 22. As if the pack contains not 2.2 kilograms, but 22 kg.

Importer sticker

Illegally imported coffee will not have a special importer sticker.

If the coffee has passed all the necessary procedures to reach the shelves of Russian stores, there will be a label with information on the pack. And strictly in Russian.

The importer's sticker indicates basic information about the product, manufacturer, and supplier. Contact details and address are written down.

If there is no importer's label on the package, then there are 2 options. This is an illegally imported product, or a counterfeit one.

What's with the fold line?

The original packaging remains flat even after long-term transportation. It's easy to explain. At the Italian company's plant, coffee and packaging are produced in parallel.

When packaging, foil tape is used. It is stored in huge reels.

And scammers do the packaging first. Then coffee is poured into the prepared packaging. Closing the packs is not done by automated machines, but by ordinary people. The goods are then stacked and stored in warehouses. During transportation and storage it begins to deform. Hence the noticeable stripes on the fold line.

Stamp with date of manufacture

A special stamp is applied to a pack of coffee, which states the time, date of manufacture, and expiration date. Plus the batch number. For this, the Lavazza company uses a different type of paint. Not the same one from which the main text is made.

It's easy to check authenticity. Just rub the font with your fingers. If the paint has worn off or partially disappeared, it is original.

Fraudsters use ready-made stamps that are applied simultaneously with the main text. Therefore, the font, thickness and paint will be identical. The mark is not erased by mechanical action.

Appearance, aroma and foam

Appearance also allows you to recognize deception. Although this is more difficult to do.

Fake coffee beans are usually darker. Roasting is used more intensely to hide the imperfections of the beans themselves. Plus, the equipment used is not of the best standard, which does not allow achieving uniform roasting for each grain.

Ground coffee in the original packaging is lighter in color. Externally it resembles cocoa. Plus the faction itself is smaller. The fakes have a rough floor and a dark color.

Coffee lovers can recognize deception by the aroma. When brewing, you immediately understand why Lavazza is so highly regarded in the coffee market. It has a bright, pronounced, and incredibly pleasant natural aroma. Counterfeit products smell sharp and may smell like over-roasted coffee. And sometimes it doesn’t smell like anything at all.

Try brewing coffee in a cup. Do you see how the fragrant foam appears around the edges? If it's not there, it's a fake.

You can also feel the difference when using a coffee maker. The foam should lie in an even layer. But at the same time dense. Covers almost the entire surface of the liquid.

What general requirements must the original packaging of Lavazza coffee meet?

• High quality packaging: absence of delamination, unnecessary creases and folds, especially at its ends; factory taped seams along the entire length, the presence of a check valve with a slot.
• The contents of the coffee pack are evenly distributed throughout the entire volume. This is especially true for ground coffee packed using the vacuum method.
• The font is bold and clear, the colors are bright, and the text complies with the Customs and Technical Regulations of the Russian Federation. According to legal requirements, the packaging of food products, and coffee belongs specifically to this category of goods, must indicate: NAME, WEIGHT, DATE AND TIME OF MANUFACTURE, BATCH NUMBER, STORAGE CONDITIONS and EXPIRATION DATE, NAME AND ADDRESS OF THE MANUFACTURER.

  

• The information listed above is indicated by the importer on the ADDITIONAL STICKER. Its presence is an integral requirement, because on the packaging of the European manufacturer only the expiration date is indicated, and - Nota bene! — production time (European regulations are simplified compared to ours).

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An important point is that mostly kilogram packages are counterfeited.

But in any case, check: if the hours and minutes of production are not indicated on a pack of coffee, regardless of the weight denomination, then it is definitely counterfeit!

It is not always possible to distinguish a fake from external data. But the contents of the package loudly testify to its origin, confirming either its authenticity or counterfeit.

Check Lavazza coffee by barcode:

Beware, fake! How not to be deceived when buying Lavazza

In general, if a manufacturer wanted to make an uncounterfeited original, it is very simple (if there was a desire) - we put a unique code on the pack according to a formula unknown to counterfeiters, cover it with a protective layer (like on scratch cards), which must be erased and give the opportunity to check it for the company’s website (and this is the main expense - supporting a verification server for the entire planet). If the pack is unique, then no one except you could check the code before (only you will see the code first), and counterfeiters take several hundred packs of original ones and repeat the codes from batch to batch.

Why doesn’t any of the “famous” manufacturers use this in the world? Yes, for a simple reason. Quality is degrading for everyone; moreover, as has long been proven, they are engaged in regional segregation in quality, because there really is not enough quality raw material for everyone in the world (only 1.5 kg of coffee is produced per person per year and not all of it is good). If there were original protection, then taking a pack for example in Italy, Belgium and Russia, it would be easy to expose the manufacturer of the product with regional segregation in quality (remember the raids in the EU in the countries of the Eastern bloc and even our Rospotrebnadzor did similar things, t i.e. caught producers of various goods in blatant regional segregation). For these same “brands” it is simply legally dangerous – such protection. While there is no irrefutable defense (and it is easy to do by seizing an entire batch based on a consumer complaint), you can always lie to both consumers and supervisory authorities that the wrong thing was purchased in this store or chain. And you won’t be able to dig in if the ends lead to shell companies and some kind of schemes in anonymous offshores. And that’s all - I got a fine from turnover in the country where I burned myself. That is why such basic and cheap protection (at least for 1 kg packs) is not made. So that the manufacturer himself, who makes goods of different quality for different regions, does not get burned and his reputation is not tarnished forever. And chemistry is now advanced, which requires careful research. Moreover, sometimes the manufacturer uses a more sophisticated deception scheme - part of the batches is diluted in a certain proportion with a low-quality product, thus the average cost is adjusted to the desired level and, therefore, the margin. The price of the packs is the same. Moreover, this creates uncertainty among buyers, because someone gets a good batch by chance, and someone gets a cheap one, and they literally fight with each other on the forums - like you’re lying, you’re lying! And the manufacturer and marketers are quite rubbing their hands. It is impossible to verify 100% originality in reality; you can turn everything around and refuse the product. And the simpler it is, the easier it is to do. Even in gadgets, the same method of mixing batches has long been used - different levels of quality components at the same selling price for the same article/model of product. Even within one target country, not to mention regional segregation. And because in this case, the product is complex, so as not to be caught - a minimum of detailed characteristics of the component parts is announced, otherwise experienced ones may catch it. In the same coffee - who writes to you a specific variety of the same Arabica and the place of origin, as for example with DOC.G certificates. on wine? Because write this, if anyone starts an examination, they will definitely be caught forgery of raw materials. And so he wrote “100% Arabica” on the pack and no complaints, you never know what kind of Arabica there is in the world and where it is grown. At least they have developed quality labeling rules for tea, but few people know about them. Ask around and then check in stores nearby. Quickly make sure that they are selling the cheapest possible raw materials.

It costs nothing for a conscientious manufacturer who produces products with stable quality for the whole world to provide protection on the packaging, but there are practically no conscientious manufacturers left in the world - they are ruined by unscrupulous ones. Remember the catchphrase of Thomas Dunning, which Karl Marx borrowed in his “Capital”, about profit and everything will immediately fall into place in your head...

Production date stamp

Information about the time, date of manufacture and expiration date, batch number is applied to the original product with ink that differs from that used to print the main text on the packaging. You can check this by rubbing the printed font with your fingers. After this action, the paint will disappear or not be completely erased.

The production date stamp on the counterfeit is applied simultaneously with the main stamp. Often has the same font, size, thickness. Does not wear off due to mechanical impact.

Lavazza 2022 - design update

The fight against fraud is ongoing. Therefore, the company began to produce its products in new packaging. How to distinguish Lavazza ORO coffee from a fake:

• in the center on the front side there is a horizontal strip of black and red (black at the bottom and red at the top);
• darkish tint of packaging; a block describing the flavor profile and strength of taste;
• there is no information about the degree of roasting;
• the design of the symbols themselves for how to make coffee has been changed;
• information about the importer in Russian;
• red round logo with the brand name.

The packaging design has been updated, but the taste, aroma and quality remain the same. Therefore, any changes indicate that Lavazza oro is a fake.

Fold lines on packaging

We recommend buying original Lavazza coffee here

The packaging of the original coffee is even, even after being transported. This is explained by the fact that at the official enterprise the production of coffee and packaging is established in parallel.

For packaging, foil tape is used, which is stored in reels.

At the same time, counterfeit producers package the coffee in pre-made packaging. It’s not robots, but people who close the packs. While the product is in a warehouse or in transport during transportation, the packaging is deformed, and a stripe is clearly visible on the fold line.

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The fakes have a fold along the entire pack, everything is very simple, if there is such a fold, then it is 100% fake.

This factor is due to the fact that scammers order ready-made packs from a printing house, and they are compacted during transportation and storage, thereby forming a crease.

Remember, the presence of a crease directly indicates that this is a 100% fake, but in turn, the absence of such a crease does not always indicate the originality of the product. To be sure, buy products from trusted suppliers.

Updated information from 12/22/2016

Technologies for counterfeiting Lavazza coffee do not stand still, and more and more often our customers complain that packs of coffee purchased in our store, according to our description, look like counterfeits.

We ordered several packs of fake coffee from unscrupulous wholesalers, and it turned out that, in fact, in appearance they are practically no different from the real thing.

External signs of a fake

• On the original pack, the font is clearer and a little bolder, and the colors are brighter, but this only becomes noticeable if you put two packs side by side, provided that you know in advance which one is real
• The fake does not have the importer's sticker , which is necessarily present on real packs. This is the main and, unfortunately, now the only sign by which you can recognize a well-made fake without opening the package.

Content difference

As soon as you open the package of fake coffee, everything falls into place:

• First of all, the smell : unpleasant, vaguely similar to the smell of roasted sunflower seeds. In some cases, there may be no smell at all, we don’t know what this depends on, but this “aroma” has nothing to do with the pleasant smell of coffee.
• Next, the coffee beans: real Lavazza beans are evenly roasted to a brown color, while fake beans vary in color from light brown to almost black, and some look more like charcoal than coffee.
• Taste: We took a risk and poured the fake into the office espresso machine. At the usual settings, which usually produce good coffee, the fake turned out to be an incomprehensible liquid consistency without a hint of foam. This liquid tastes like cheap instant coffee, which was first left for a couple of days and then heated in the microwave.

conclusions

If the counterfeit is made intelligently, then it is unlikely that it will be possible to identify it for sure without opening the packaging. It may not have the importer's sticker, but that too can be faked.

Buy only real coffee, only from trusted stores .

We work only directly with official Lavazza coffee distributors, so our coffee is always real and can be safely used as a standard for checking other stores.

Signs of a company selling counterfeits

It is clear that the fraudsters themselves who produce counterfeit products are rarely directly involved in its sale. As a rule, they find small companies that, in the pursuit of profit, are tempted by low delivery prices. There are several signs that can make you think about the quality of the products offered by a certain company.

No cashless payments. This is perhaps one of the main signs of a company selling counterfeit goods. If you are told that payments are only for cash, then you should think about it - this is an alarming signal. A company that does not have a bank account can definitely be classified as unreliable.

Will the manufacturer enter into a distribution cooperation agreement with a company that essentially works on its own? Then where can she get the goods? Either from an official dealer, but it will already be offered at a much higher price, or from counterfeit manufacturers offering their products at a bargain price.

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We recommend that you resort to this trick: ask the company about the possibility of paying for coffee to the company’s bank account; if they refuse you, even citing temporary difficulties, you should not cooperate with such a company.

They don't provide a receipt. It is especially important to pay attention to this when ordering for the first time. The absence of a receipt may indicate that the company does not have a cash register, and therefore is not registered with the tax authority. Draw your own conclusions.

The limited number of employees may lead one to believe that this is some kind of “sharashkin’s office.” When the same employee is engaged in both receiving orders and delivering them, this may indicate a lack of professionalism and a desire to make a quick profit.

Types of coffee, distinguish fake coffee at home

The Arabica coffee variety is recognized as the best throughout the world; Arabica trees grow in special climatic conditions. But the fruits are too susceptible to damage by insects, bacteria, fungi, so obtaining the fruits is very labor-intensive, one Arabica tree produces only 5 kg of beans per year, and if they are dried and fried, the weight will decrease to 1 kg.

Arabica coffee beans are oblong, have a pleasant coffee aroma and are slightly sour.

Robusta is 10 times cheaper than Arabica, Robusta grains are slightly smaller and round in shape. The Robusta tree produces much more fruit and is much easier to grow and harvest. Robusta contains more caffeine than Arabica, but its taste is less intense. Therefore, they mix two types of coffee to get exactly the taste they like.

First grade coffee includes beans from

Colombia

Vietnam and Brazilian Santos – the most famous coffee variety in the world

Counterfeit coffee beans

If at least 10% of the packaging is replaced with fake grains, then our “gourmets” are unlikely to notice it.

To make fake coffee beans you need:

Flour, starch, water and sugar-based coloring to give the mixture a caramel color, add a small amount of natural ground coffee (for smell), you can add flavoring, mix everything, the mixture should be like plasticine from which coffee beans are easily molded. Then they are sent for roasting, where the beans acquire a beautiful coffee hue.

How to understand whether the grain in front of you is real or fake

Place the beans in warm water and stir; real coffee beans will not color the water. You should also know that real coffee does not sink, but fake coffee will immediately end up at the bottom of the glass.

Type and types of grinding

We recommend buying original Lavazza coffee here

The varieties and their characteristics are shown in the table.

The company produces coffee in several fractions:

Appearance

To purchase authentic Lavazza coffee, click here.

When comparing coffee beans, it has been noticed that fake coffee is usually deep roasted. Additionally, genuine ground coffee is lighter in color (resembles cocoa beans) and finer ground than counterfeit coffee.

What general requirements must the original packaging of Lavazza coffee meet?

• High quality packaging: no cracks or unwanted folds, especially around the edges; the seams are sealed along the entire length at the factory; check valve with slot.
• The contents of the coffee package are evenly distributed throughout the entire volume. This is especially noticeable with freshly ground coffee in vacuum packaging.
• The font is bold and clear, the colors are bright and comply with customs and technical regulations of the Russian Federation. Packaging of food products in the coffee category is required by law to contain the following information: name, weight, date and time of production, battery number, expiration date and duration, name and address src=»https://fakeproverka.ru/wp-content/uploads/2021 /11/b306537626a10b3e4c7947e071ab7940.jpg" class="aligncenter" width="600″ height="446″[/img]
• The above information will be displayed by the importer on a label labeled SUPPLIED. This is a mandatory requirement, since European manufacturers indicate the expiration date only on the packaging. — Date of manufacture (European standards are simplified compared to ours).

Key Points - These are mostly pound packs that are counterfeit packaging.

But check it out anyway. If the packaging does not indicate the production time and number of minutes, it is definitely a fake.

Counterfeits are often not obvious from the outside. But if you look at the contents of the package, you can tell where the product came from and whether it is real or fake.

Check the barcode on Lavazza coffee.

Please enter 13 digit barcode. Check

Aroma

As soon as you open the package, you will understand how good the coffee is. Lavazza has a very strong aroma of natural coffee. Some types of fake coffee are odorless, while others have a strong aroma. The aroma of real high-quality coffee cannot be faked.

This is why fake coffee will have a “smell” as soon as you open the package. This is because coffee has no aroma and can reach every corner of the room.

Roasting

Coffee beans roasted by Lavazza have the same degree of roasting. The beans are evenly roasted and have a brown-chocolate color. Fake Lavazza coffee beans are distinguished by their heterogeneity and wide range of colors. It’s as if the frying defect was poured directly into the packaging.

Taste of coffee

Drinks made from counterfeit coffee lack flavor (they're made from Robusta, a low-quality coffee bean that can taste earthy) and lack the creaminess of original Lavazza.

Environmental friendliness

Since 1935, the company's philosophy has focused on the economic, human, environmental and cultural factors of the countries in which the company operates. Over the years, this commitment has been expressed in concrete actions, including the creation of the non-profit Giuseppe e Pericle Lavazza Foundation, which since 2004 has been implementing and developing projects for sustainable economic, social and environmental development in coffee communities. Lavazza's responsibility and path to sustainable development includes all stakeholders, both internal and external. The results are recorded according to the principles of transparency in Sustainability Reports from 2021.

Package

The quality of the original coffee packaging is much higher than that of counterfeits. Production technology involves packaging steps that are performed by the company itself, and not by third parties. A real coffee bag is flat, without deformed corners or sides.

Counterfeit coffee bags do not contain cardboard, which is commonly used for shipping containers. The reason for this is that not all cardboard suppliers are willing to take the risk of dealing with counterfeit manufacturers. To avoid the possibility of purchasing counterfeit products, you can ask the supplier to deliver the goods in a branded shipping box. No need to be shy.

Ask your new supplier to deliver your order in the original Lavazza box.

Manufacturers pack 1kg packs in boxes of six, but there is no need to order the full 6kg. Any conscientious seller is familiar with the situation with counterfeit products and will treat your request with understanding.