The prepared foods team at Bertolli is encouraging Americans to “Mangia!” Translation: to eat like Italians do – especially during National Pasta Month this October.
Coinciding with the launch of its reformulated frozen ready meals range, which features simpler ingredients and a more recipe-like ingredient list, the marketing department of the ConAgra Foods brand (a registered trademark of R&B Foods, Inc., used under license) commissioned a survey of Italians and Americans to compare their beliefs, attitudes and perceptions surrounding food.
Among the findings:
- Italians are over two times more likely to set the table and eat family-style and three times more likely to drink wine with their meals than are Americans.
- When it comes to food on their plates, Italians eat a lot more pasta. One-quarter of those surveyed consume pasta on a daily basis, compared to just two percent of Americans.
To help bring these findings to life, Bertolli is partnering with an Italian-American family that successfully blends the cultures and cuisines: Italian-born Giuliana Rancic and her husband Bill Rancic.
“After marrying Giuliana, I truly embraced Italian culture and eating has become an experience rather than a moment,” said Bill, who is a restaurateur. “No matter how busy our schedules are, we always make it a priority to sit down as a family and Mangia.”
The couple is pleased to share their first-hand observations on the differences between Italian and American eating and offer the following advice on bringing Mangia home:
- Mangia is a philosophy and about taking time out from a busy day to enjoy a delicious meal. This can be done alone, or while connecting with family and friends. Creating a Mangia experience can be as simple as setting the table, lighting some candles and eating family-style.
- If you want to spend a night at home, Bertolli provides a restaurant-quality meal. To personalize it, add a handful of red pepper flakes or chop some fresh basil. Better yet, buy a basil plant for your kitchen.
“Growing up in Naples, Mangia was one of the first words I ever heard and is a value I’ve embraced with my family,” said Giuliana, who is a lifestyle expert as well as a restaurateur. “To me, the spirit of Mangia is about sharing stories with family and friends over a great meal.”
New Meals on the Menu
Bertolli is introducing a completely reformulated line of meals that feature a recipe-like, simple ingredient list and new packaging that offers a look inside the bag. In an effort to be even more transparent, it’s going beyond simplifying ingredients and adding a see-through window to the package to give people a sneak peek at what’s inside the bag – all premium ingredients, like crushed tomatoes, authentic Italian cheeses and al dente pasta.
The reformulated meals with new packaging will be available at retail store throughout the United States by the end of October, including a new family-size offering.
“The new Bertolli reformulated meals reflect the growing desire for convenient meals featuring high-quality ingredients and a cleaner ingredient label,” said David Koehler, associate brand manager at Bertolli. “We are passionate about providing simple ways to eat like Italians do, including crafting each meal from real, simple ingredients.”
[Editor’s Note: The survey results are from an online poll of over 2,000 people in the United States and Italy conducted by YouGov on behalf of Bertolli. The US survey of 1,074 individuals took place between July 28-29, 2016. The Italy survey of 1,013 people occurred from July 29-August 4, 2016. The margin of error in each country is +/-3.1%. Statistics are based on adults answering ‘Always’ or ‘Often’ in regards to how often they do each of the following during their largest meal of the day: Set the table prior to eating (US: 35%, Italy: 83%), eat family style (US: 31%, Italy: 70%), drink wine with their meal (US: 9%, Italy: 28%).]
