The Mediterranean Diet has been recognized as a dietary pattern that has multiple health benefits and many other sustainable development goals proposed by the United Nations.
It was also recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Aware of these benefits, advertising uses the Mediterranean Diet as a claim to reach consumers.
What is the Mediterranean diet
The Mediterranean Diet is a plant-based dietary pattern, characterized by the frequent intake of a high amount of vegetables, fruits, cereals, legumes and nuts. It also includes the habitual consumption of olive oil and the moderate consumption of fish and shellfish, white meat, eggs and dairy. On the contrary, the consumption of red meats, processed meats and foods rich in sugars and fats should be small both in quantity and frequency.
This diet is the result of a complex and multimillennial interaction between natural food resources available in the Mediterranean environment and the human element that inhabits the Mediterranean basin throughout history.
Advertising and marketing have not been indifferent to the benefits of the Mediterranean Diet. In recent years, it is common to find many food products that are advertised to the consumer as part of the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid. Nonetheless, these products have very little to do with the Mediterranean Dietand the impact of its habitual consumption on health is far from being positive.
What foods cannot be included in the Mediterranean Diet
This study, which we are going to comment on below, associated the nutritional values of those foods and beverages advertised between 2011 and 2020 and the use of the “Mediterranean” concept as part of their discursive marketing strategy.
Solid food
After data collection, the results were that the 1,219 advertisements analyzed between 2011 and 2020 corresponded to a total of 103 products. Of these products, “fried tomato and sauces” (18), “soups and prepared meals” (17), “fruits, beans and vegetables” (12) and “deli meats” (8) were the food categories that most used the semantic field of the Mediterranean Diet in its advertising speech.
“Milk, cheese, ice cream and yogurt” (7), “olive oil” and “crisps” (6), and “children’s porridge” (5) followed the order of that classification. The intermediate positions corresponded to foods such as pizza and cookies (3), and chocolate (2), while the lower positions in terms of advertising presence corresponded to products such as bread, cereals, jam, diet products or rice.
Foods that are not part of the Mediterranean diet, but are advertised as such | number of ads |
---|---|
FRIED TOMATOES AND SAUCES | 18 |
SOUPS AND PREPARED MEALS | 17 |
SAUSAGES | 8 |
ICE CREAM | 7 |
CHIPS | 6 |
BABY FOOD | 5 |
PIZZA | 3 |
BISCUITS | 3 |
CHOCOLATE | two |
BREAKFAST CEREALS | one |
MARMALADE | one |
BREAD | one |
DIETARY PRODUCT | one |
SALTING | one |
NOUGAT | one |
The results of the study comment that there is a growing number of foods that are advertised as Mediterranean Diet and are not and a decreasing one in terms of foods that are part of the Mediterranean Diet such as fruits, vegetables, legumes…
liquid food
In the case of the analyzed beverages, it stands out that practically the 89% were alcoholic beverages. Those who have used the semantic field of Mediterranean Diet have been especially wine (47.71%), beer (16.57%) and gin (12.84%). Only 11% of the drinks advertised were non-alcoholic, specifically soft drinks (4.59%), sweetened juices (3.67%) and water (2.75%).
Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages WHICH ARE NOT OF THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET, BUT ARE ADVERTISED AS SUCH | NUMBER OF PRODUCTS ADVERTISED |
---|---|
WINE | 52 |
BEER | 18 |
GENEVA | 14 |
DIGGING | 7 |
RON | two |
VERMOUTH | one |
REFRESHMENTS | 5 |
SWEET JUICES | 4 |
With regard to alcoholic beverages, it stands out that the number of advertisers using “Mediterranean Diet” as an advertising claim it has grown in recent years, reaching peak in 2019 with 22 products.
We must remind our readers that the Mediterranean Diet is based on plant-based foods such as vegetables, fruits, cereals, legumes and nuts, advocating a moderate consumption of poultry, shellfish, eggs and dairy products. This nutritional pattern recommends a reduced consumption, both in quantity and frequency, of red meats, processed meats and foods rich in sugars and fats. Finally, The main source of fat would be olive oil.
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Pictures | istock