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Int'l scientists gather in Italy to promote healthy, sustainable Mediterranean diet

Xinhua, July 9, 2016 Adjust font size:

The first world summit on Mediterranean diet ended here in Italy's Milan on Friday after three days of dialogue among international experts to promote a healthy and sustainable Mediterranean diet.

Thirty of the world's top scientists gathered in the Italian northern city from Wednesday to Friday to outline the future of the Mediterranean diet that they said is highly beneficial for both humans and the environment.

At the conference, organized by the International Foundation on Mediterranean Diet (IFMeD) in collaboration with representatives of international scientific societies and research authorities, a European campaign for the promotion of the Mediterranean diet was also launched.

The experts mapped out the future of the Mediterranean diet, which they said remains an excellent dietary model under a healthy and sustainable point of view but from which people are gradually moving away, because of the adoption of new lifestyles and eating habits.

For example, according to figures released at the conference, Italians do not eat enough fish, or just 40 grams per week against the recommend 60 grams, while average consumption of fish is even lower across Europe and in the United States.

Meat in the proper doses remains an important ingredient of the Mediterranean diet, while pulses should have a primary role, experts also highlighted.

"The 68th United Nations (UN) general assembly declared 2016 the International Year of Pulses (IYP) to heighten public awareness of the nutritional benefits of pulses as part of sustainable food production aimed towards food security and nutrition," Laura Rossi, a researcher at Rome-based Food and Nutrition Research Center (CREA-NUT), noted.

In fact, IFMeD general secretary Sandro Dernini underlined in his address to the conference, the concept of the Mediterranean diet has evolved over the last 50 years. "From a healthy dietary pattern, it has become a model of sustainable diet," he said.

The innovative approach of the new pyramid, Dernini added, is to connect the health dimension to the socio-cultural, economic and environmental sustainability dimensions.

The conference established a commitment towards the environment of all the stakeholders that are working to promote the Mediterranean diet, and will also help the Mediterranean diet to have a place inside governments and international organizations' agendas to oppose climate change, IFMeD President Lluis Serra Majem said.

Milan last year hosted the Expo Milano 2015 world exposition which gathered more than 21 million visitors and over 140 participant countries around the leading theme "Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life," dedicated to the vital need for mankind to ensure enough healthy food for all while respecting nature. Endit