Almost 10 million kilometers: that’s the length of the “snake” we would get if we lined up all the packages of fusilli and macaroni produced in the last year, enough to circle the earth more than 200 times. In this ideal embrace, on October 25, pasta celebrates its universality, its culture, and its status as a symbol of healthy eating on World Pasta Day.
And the celebrations are twofold for the International Pasta Organisation, which not only organises and coordinates World Pasta Day but is also celebrating its 20th anniversary. Founded on October 25, 2005, the IPO has been promoting and protecting the culture of pasta and healthy eating around the world, as well as all the virtues of this food loved in all cultures, which is accessible, sustainable, practical, and compatible with a healthy diet.
The figures tell us that the gamble of those early years has paid off. According to data from the IPO – International Pasta Organisation, Over the last 20 years, global love for pasta has practically doubled. Production has gone from around 9 to 17 million tonnes with 40 countries producing over 20,000 tonnes of pasta a year. Since 2005 the number of countries where per capita consumption exceeds 1 kilo a year has almost doubled (to 52, from 30). Moreover, pasta has overcome all its challenges: it has been able to speak to all generations, invent and reinvent itself, winning a special place in international eating habits and becoming a symbol of a balanced, wellness-oriented diet that is also rich in flavor.
A milestone achieved thanks to IPO activities that since 2005 has been dedicated to increasing pasta consumption and consumers’ awareness, by advancing their understanding of the nutritional value and health benefits of pasta and safeguarding the image of the pasta sector on an international level.
The International Pasta Organisation currently has 24 members (including two European federations, UN.A.F.P.A. and Semouliers). To support its activities, the IPO has also set up a Scientific Advisory Board, composed of internationally recognized experts in the fields of pasta production, medicine, and food science.
Among the IPO’s contributions to the promotion of pasta, numerous scientific conferences and publications are worthy of mention, such as “Pasta for Everyone”, which focused on the nutritional benefits of pasta and its value in terms of taste and practicality, and the “Pasta for Children Around the World” project, aimed at strengthening knowledge of pasta, its nutritional benefits, and how to prepare it among young people in 21 countries around the world.
Above all, the update of the Scientific Consensus Statement “Healthy Pasta Meals”: published by an international committee of scientists and food authorities from different countries and scientifically analyzes and shares the benefits of pasta. The Statement emphasize the role of pasta in the Mediterranean diet, its use in sports nutrition, and the importance of diet as a whole compared to individual foods, concluding that pasta is a healthy, complex carbohydrate that can be integrated into most diets when consumed in moderation alongside other healthy foods, does not cause obesity, and has a low environmental impact.
On the occasion of the 2025 World Pasta Day, IPO Pasta Makers are renewing the Consensus Statement, reconfirming the relevance of the document and bringing the number of points it contains to 19, in light of new evidences.
“This year we’re celebrating an important milestone that confirms pasta as an extraordinary product that brings joy and conviviality to the tables of millions worlwide every day”, says Carl Zuanelli, president of the IPO. “In the past 20 years, as producers, we’ve seen how chefs constantly reinterpret it, food experts talk about it, anthropologists hail its social, cultural and convivial role, and nutritionists recommend it as part of a healthy, balanced diet. Pasta is a universal food, packed with history and culture, and increasingly a symbol of a healthy diet, whose consumption is constantly evolving. Pasta has the ability to be the perfect food for everyone, a real food of the future, combining flavour and conviviality with an approach to food that’s based on wellbeing and sustainability“.
This year, World Pasta Day will be held in Turkey. From October 24 to 26, a global gathering will take place in Istanbul under the roof of the International Pasta Organisation (IPO), hosted by the Turkish Pasta Manufacturers Association (TMSD) and MÜSAD. Industry leaders, chefs, scientists, and gastronomy enthusiasts will come together to celebrate pasta’s global story.
