Italy’s antitrust authority has fined three of the country’s leading potato chip manufacturers — Amica Chips, Pata and Preziosi Food — a combined €23.3 million following an investigation into anti-competitive coordination in the private-label potato chips segment, according to regulatory news service MLex.

The sanctions follow a formal probe launched in September 2024 by Italy’s competition authority, the Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato (AGCM), which examined whether the companies coordinated commercial strategies and pricing in tenders for retailer-owned potato chip brands.

According to AGCM’s original investigation notice, the case focused on suspected agreements involving customer allocation and price coordination in the supply of private-label potato chips to large-scale retail customers. Italian trade media had previously reported that the regulator was examining possible long-term “non-belligerence” arrangements dating back several years.

While the AGCM’s final public ruling was not immediately available at the time of writing, multiple Italian media reports had indicated the investigation was approaching a conclusion, with substantial financial penalties expected.

The case represents one of the most significant recent competition enforcement actions in Europe’s potato snack sector, underlining growing regulatory scrutiny of supplier conduct in private-label food categories.

For potato processors and snack manufacturers, the decision also highlights the strategic importance of compliance in increasingly competitive retailer supply chains, where private-label contracts represent a major volume channel across Europe.

The case centers specifically on Italy’s branded and private-label potato chips market, a key segment in the broader processed potato industry, where retail pricing pressure and category concentration can create elevated competition risks.