Paolo Bruni from Cso talks about the meeting in Ferrara.
Italy is the leading pear producer worldwide, so much so that the fruit could be the symbol of the country. It is the 5th most popular fruit in the world and has a 90% penetration index in Italy.
"Pears are a modern fruit because not only do they satisfy people's needs, but they also satisfy their current and future desires."
The meeting during the International Festival in Ferrara.
"Pears do not have all those things that are harmful - such as palm oil, saturated fats, cholesterol, lactose, gluten, alcohol, added sugar and GMO-free. It is obvious for us, but consumers are not as aware of it.
In addition, they have no fats and 100 grams of flesh has only 40 calories. It is also a nutraceutical fruit and has a high content of pure water, filtered by the roots, potassium and calcium, as well as a low sodium content, so it is perfect to re-hydrate.
"Do you think people know all this? Just think of the mineral water brand that based its marketing campaign on the fact that it makes you pee more, but water does that, doesn't it? And yet your mind has associated this one brand with this information."
Left to right: Luca Granata, Paolo Bruni and Mirella Giuberti.
"It is an ethical product, 100% Italian and produced by 3000 seperate businesses, not by a multinational. When buying pears, you help the local economy. Can you think of a fruit more modern than this one? I can't. We need to start looking at what we have from a different perspective. We tend to be ignorant and journalists need to fight against ignorance and provide information that is correct."
Some of the producers who attended the meeting.
Nutritionist Mirella Giuberti, reported that "there are no proteins or fats in pears, so the calorie content is low. The sugar that is most present is fructose and, while glucose needs insulin in order to be used, fructose does not, so it is perfect for those with a low glucose tolerance. In addition, its other sugar, sorbtol, has few calories and is not completely absorbed at an intestinal level. Last but not least, this fruit contains fibre, cellulose, which gives us a sense of being full and helps peristalsis, and pectine, which slows down the absorption of glucose and cholesterol. What is more, it is antioxidant, thanks to its anthocyanin and zeaxanthin content."
Granata shows a 4-fruit packet.
"And let's not forget that pears also taste good. Just combine a couple of pieces of gorgonzola cheese, four pieces of Abate pears, two nuts and a bit of endive for a lovely salad. Or enjoy a ripe Kaiser with a flake of Parmesan cheese and a glass of Lambrusco. Even better, pears with dark chocolate and a spirit. You can use them for anything, they work well with all Italian recipes. And they are also excellent on their own. I challenge you to find another fruit that is so versatile. Yet, despite all this, they are difficult to sell."
Take away, a ripe pear protected by a single-fruit container
How can consumption be increased? Opera's Director showed a few ways to make it easier for people to choose pears. "There are single-fruit containers perfect to carry pears to the office, or to give kids when they go to school. Then we also have pear slicers, so people can also eat the peel, which is where most of the nutrients and fibre are. In addition, we must also supply good fruit - nobody will eat pears that are hard and have no taste. We need to improve the so-called eating experience."
A pear slicer, to cut fruit easily.
It is not true that fruit is only for home consumption. It can be eaten any time, instead of all the processed snacks that are full of fats and sugars.
"We have worked on a huge promotional campaign that will be aired on television from November. It is weird that nobody had thought about it before but, you know, the agricultural world always moves slowly."