04/07/2013 00:00
TW
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ment is to make an official call for the “Mediterranean diet” to be included in UNESCO's cultural heritage programme.
This is a pioneering move which is aimed at securing global recognition for regional food stuffs that comprise the renowned “healthy eating” regime.
Elena Espinosa, central government minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, was speaking about the UNESCO project at a conference held yesterday by the Mediterranean Diet Foundation, chaired by its president, Lluis Serra-Majem. During the meeting, a review was held of the activities carried out by the group over the past year as well as of new programmes which are yet to be put in place.

The emphasis this year is being placed on children and how they should be encouraged to eat a healthy Mediterranean diet from an early age. “In” are fresh fruit and vegetables, oily fish, wholemeal bread, rice, home-made pasta, cold-pressed olive oil; “out” are fried foods, sugary drinks and desserts and an excess of fatty meat. Education in nutrition will be supported by games, including high-tech games, which teach children the properties of food and how they go to make up a healthy diet.

The minister reported that such an application is being made to UNESCO thanks to their opening a new category of “non-material” cultural heritage, tailored to hallmark lifestyles.