(ANSA) - Milan, October 29 - The Cibus is Italy pavilion run by Italian food producers association FederAlimentare and the Cibus food trade fair in Parma has been one of the most popular pavilions among foreign visitors to Expo, organisers said Thursday. It is the only pavilion to have presented all 13 segments making up the Italian food industry, from processed meats to cheese, from oil to pasta.
    In all 420 producers showcased their products. Further, Cibus is Italy has earned a name for itself as being the only pavilion to distribute food products to visitors free of charge on entry. Also, its lounge terrace and associated conference room have hosted a programme of 250 events and 15 B2B sessions involving Italian producers and foreign buyers.
    The formula combining food presentations and tastings, conferences and business meetings will now be used in other trade fairs in Italy and abroad, organisers said.
    Expo2020 in Dubai has already requested a similar pavilion and the format will be the basis for Cibus 2016 in Parma next May.
    The Italian food industry now has a historic opportunity to meet the demand for Made in Italy food products coming from all continents and double food exports. Cibus and Federalimentare are also in talks with the government to create a permanent observatory to identify products that are marketed under Italian-sounding names but are not Italian-made.