Pasta trends with release of study that Italian noodles do not contribute to obesity

Pasta used to be blamed for obesity and other weight problems, but all that changed with the release of a study that says it is associated with a lower body mass index. The study by the Department of Epidemiology of IRCCS Neuromed in Pozzilli, Italy, says that consumption of pasta is linked with reduction of obesity.

The study, published in the Nutrition and Diabetes journal, monitored more than 23,000 people in the big research conducted by the Moli-sani and Italian Nutrition and Health Survey. George Pounis, first author of the research, says that pasta consumption results in healthier body mass index, lower waist circumference and waist-hip ratio.

Licia Iacoviello, head of the Molecular Epidemiology Laboratory and Nutritional Neuromed, says it is wrong to eliminate the pasta, a fundamental component of Italian Mediterranean cuisine, from meals. But she adds there should be moderation in consumption and variety in elements.

However, Mashable points out that press release about the study has a footnote which states it was partly funded by Barilla Spa through the Italian Ministry of Economic Development (MISE). Barilla is the largest pasta company in the world with US$3.5 billion (A$4.7 billion) in sales.

But although Barilla, run by siblings Guido, Paolo, Luca and Emanuella, was pleased by the study, it emphasises the firm was not involved in the research which have other funders such as the MISE. The study authors confirm that Barilla played no role in designing the study, and collecting, analysing and interpreting the data.

Nevertheless, a Barilla spokesman says the company would “continue to be interested in exploring and learning more about the health benefits of pasta and a Mediterranean diet.”

Mashable, however, cautions readers not to be too excited with the findings because most of the participants were already on a Mediterranean diet which reduces meat consumption, hikes intake of plant-based food and advocates exercise. They also ate only 3 ounces of pasta, while a typical box of Barilla rigatoni has 16 ounces of pasta.

Following the release of the study this week, pasta became trending on Google as people searched for pasta recipes, shapes and other pasta-related terms. Search for Rigatoni surged 26 percent, according to the Google 2016 Food Trends Report which urged marketers to refocus their attention on the Italian meal staple.

Barilla has gone one step ahead and came out with a new products such as a pasta with protein plus and quick-cooking line done with the sauce, making it unnecessary to boil or drain the dish, discloses Jean-Pierre Comte, president of Barilla Americas, reports Fortune. He adds there are plans to boost quality with categories such as whole grain, gluten-free, vegetable-based and organic pasta.

The company, which has a 30 percent share of the US dry pasta market and 10 percent of global sales, recently invested US$26.5 million (A$35.3 million) to expand its pasta plant in Iowa which would include two gluten-free production lines.

VIDEO: Barilla pasta factory in Parma