Another article pointed out that places selling "ethnic food" were only to be banned in the small medieval central portion of Lucca. A second stated that one purpose of the restrictions was to cut down on littering.

The Times
January 31, 2009
Italy bans kebabs and foreign food from cities

Richard Owen in Rome

The tomato comes from Peru and spaghetti was probably a gift from China.

It is, though, the “foreignâ€