Paolo Barilla – VP of Italian pasta company Barilla Holding SpA – has been appointed President of International Pasta Organisation (IPO), a kind of “Pasta UNO” founded in 2005 for the promotion and protection of pasta culture and healthy food.
The announcement comes from Moscow, where World Pasta Day 2016 took place on October 25th by assembling pasta manufacturers from all over the world, together with supply chain representatives, scientific and economic opinion leaders, food media and bloggers. This event is the most important opportunity to show and celebrate the nutritional values of a kind of food that is now present on every continent in the world and accessible to every social group. Paolo Barilla – President of Aidepi (Italian Pasta and Bakery Products Companies Association) – shall be appointed President of IPO for the next two years (2017-2018).
I’m glad to start this new journey as President of international Pasta Organisation – Paolo Barilla said. Pasta is an excellent Italian food product, which is becoming more and more popular worldwide. That’s because pasta is good, accessible to everyone, versatile and adaptable to all gastronomic cultures and lifestyles.
PASTA IN RUSSIA – World Pasta Day has been an opportunity to promote pasta knowledge in Russia – where 94% of population usually eats it (7,8 kg per-capita annual consumption) – even if it’s still affected by a high degree of seasonability. Pasta consumption still takes place in Russia mainly in the summertime, and it can happen to have it proposed as a side dish.
During World Pasta Day 2016, a Russian nutritionists delegation has signed the Scientific Consensus Document “Healthy Pasta Meals”. It’s a document which highlights the health benefits of pasta and complex carbohydrate based nutrition, underlining the importance of this kind of food for the prevention of chronic diseases and obesity.
ITALY WORLD LEADER – IPO data show that pasta production has reached 14,3 million tonnes in 2015. There are by now 48 countries that produce more than 1.000 pasta tonnes per year. In 52 countries pasta consumption has reached 1 kg per capita yearly. Italy is a world leader in both production (3,2 million tonnes per year) and consumption (24 kg per capita yearly). As for pasta production, in the 2015 top five Italy is followed by USA (2 million tonnes), Turkey (1,3 million), Brazil (1,2 million) and Russia (1,1 million). As for consumption, it’s followed by Tunisia (16 kg per capita in 2015),Venezuela (12 kg), Greece (11,2 kg) and Switzerland (9,2 kg).
Raffaello Ragaglini, IPO Secretary-General and UNAFPA Honorary Secretary, states that IPO work for the global promotion and protection of pasta will become even stronger by involving every member Organisation. Pasta, Mediterranean diet’s core product, shall establish its leading position not only in Russia but also in India and China.
