The business dimension of the Mediterranean diet
As research as shown, the Mediterranean diet constitutes the optimal nutrition model. The questions arising is how we can make the products of the Mediterranean land known wordwide and how we can support the Mediterranean lifestyle as a whole. If we really want the Mediterranean diet model to find its way to the international consumer's food habits, the actions to be taken are specific.
Every product arrives to the consumer through a channel in which different entities are involved, like the producers, the wholesalers, the importers, the brokers and the buyers of the products. To affect the distribution channels in a way as to embrace products of the Mediterranean diet we need first to educate the consumers by presenting the health benefits, good taste and cooking habits of the proposed diet model.
Similarly, we have to route the professionals dealing with imports of food products to incorporate the Mediterranean products in their business activities. All the above indicate the key word "education".
This means that the international consumer must be informed in full detail about the healthy character of the Mediterranean diet, about the healthy properties of each one of the products constituting the diet, the recipes and day-to-day menu so that the diet finds a place in every home. On the other hand, the culinary properties and the gourmet aspects of each product must be properly promoted to the consumer's eyes.
A similar campaign must be directed towards the professionals of the food sector. It is necessary for the professional to know about the qualitative characteristics of the products, their availability, their various uses, their culinary and gourmet properties and the existence of reliable producers in the Mediterranean countries, so that the Mediterranean products become marketable.
Conclusively, the food products forming the Mediterranean diet must be the subject of a systematic and continuous promotional effort towards the international community. The effort should be focused on countries fulfilling the criteria of potential welcome of such products - countries with high standards of living, with different eating habits than the Mediterranean model.
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