CHICAGO, Oct. 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- People think
they need to travel thousands of miles for an authentic Italian
meal, but the secret is just as much about how you eat, as what you
eat. This year, Bertolli is encouraging Americans to "Mangia" – in
other words – eat like Italians do – especially during National
Pasta Month this October. To coincide with the launch of its
reformulated meals, featuring simpler ingredients and a more
recipe-like ingredient list, the brand surveyed Italians and
Americans to compare their beliefs, attitudes and perceptions
surrounding food.
The difference is clear: in Italy, every meal is an experience:
- Italians are over two times more likely to set the table and
eat family-style and three times more likely to have
wine with their meals than Americans. [1]
- When it comes to the food on their plates, Italians eat a
lot more pasta. One-quarter of Italians eat pasta on a daily
basis, compared to just two percent of
Americans.[2]
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 Rancic, restauranteur. "No
matter how busy our schedules are, we always make it a priority to
sit down as a family and Mangia."
The couple will share their first-hand observations on the
differences between Italian and American eating and share 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
Rancic, restauranteur and lifestyle expert. "To me, the
spirit of Mangia is about sharing stories with family and friends
over a great meal."
Bertolli is proudly 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, Bertolli is going beyond simplifying its
ingredients and adding a see-through window to the package to give
people a sneak peek at what's inside the bag – premium ingredients,
like crushed tomatoes, authentic Italian cheeses and al dente
pasta. The reformulated meals with new packaging will be available
in retailers nationwide 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," says David
Koehler, associate brand manager, Bertolli meals. "We are
passionate about providing simple ways to eat like Italians do,
including crafting each meal from real, simple ingredients."
So this National Pasta Month, set the table, gather friends or
family and Mangia with Bertolli. For more Mangia inspiration, visit
BertolliMangia.com.
About ConAgra
ConAgra Foods, Inc., (NYSE: CAG),
is one of North America's leading
packaged food companies with recognized brands such as Marie Callender's®, Healthy Choice®, Slim Jim®,
Hebrew National®, Orville
Redenbacher's®, Peter Pan®, Reddi-wip®, PAM®, Snack Pack®,
Banquet®, Chef Boyardee®, Egg Beaters®, Hunt's® and many other
ConAgra Foods brands found in grocery, convenience, mass
merchandise and club stores. ConAgra Foods also has a strong
business-to-business presence, supplying frozen potato and sweet
potato products as well as other vegetable products to a variety of
well-known restaurants, foodservice operators and commercial
customers. For more information, please visit us at
www.conagrafoods.com.
Bertolli® is a registered trademark of R&B Foods, Inc., used
under license.
[1] These results are from an online survey conducted
by YouGov on behalf of Bertolli of over 2,000 nationally
representative individuals in the United
States and Italy. The U.S.
survey of 1,074 individuals was conducted between July 28-29, 2016. The Italy survey of 1,013 individuals was
conducted 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%).
[2] See footnote [1] for study details. Statistics are
based on adults answering "every day" to how often they eat pasta
(US: 2%, Italy: 25%).
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SOURCE ConAgra Foods