The Decline of Pasta?
DON VINCENZO writes:
There is a recent bit of news, overlooked by the majority in our national media, that may have serious repercussions for many throughout the civilized world: divinely-inspired pasta is declining in use as a result of people now counting the number of calories in every meal, and this drop also includes the denizens of Italy, surely a sign of stagnation and decay in their society.
On September 3, The Washington Post ran a story with the title, “Around the world, even in stronghold Italy, pasta is starting to lose its gusto.” Based on projections of an organization called the Mintel Group, “…U.S. pasta decline will continue through at least 2019,” and in that we are not alone. In nations as diverse as Australia, where the market for pasta has declined 8% since 2010, and Germany, where pasta sales have dipped 12% since hitting its peak in 2008, the trend is unmistakable. But by far the greatest surprise and decline, according to the Mintel report, occurred in Italy, “Where sales of dried pasta have plummeted …more than 25% since 2009…” (more…)


