Italy invests 60 mn in food campaign

(ANSA) - Rome, November 25 - Italy will invest 60 million euros in a public awareness campaign to promote original Italian food products in the US, Canada and Mexico, in light of a 180% increase in "Italian-sounding" foreign food products between 2001-2010, said Italy's Deputy Industry Minister Carlo Calenda on Wednesday.
    Calenda said the campaign aims "to bring original Italian products to the shelves of large retail distributors, especially American and Canadian, and explain to the American consumer the value of authentically Italian food".
    "In the past adequate money wasn't invested, but this year we're investing 60 million euros, around 11 times what's been invested in the past," he said, adding that the campaign will peak during Christmas in Times Square and also include a video filmed by actor Silvio Muccino.
    "For the first time we're doing things in earnest, in a structured way, without wasting resources," Calenda said.