The Interactive Fish Centre is officially opened

The project is driven by the Association of Fish Wholesalers of Barcelona and Province (GMP), in collaboration with Mercabarna. Public and private entities also participate, such as: the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Action, the European Fisheries Fund, the Ministry of Environment, Rural and Marine Affairs, FROM, the Municipal Institute of Markets of Barcelona, the Mediterranean Diet Foundation, the Obra Social “La Caixa” and the Supermarkets Bon Preu and Sorli Discau, to name a few.

For more information: www.centreinteractiudelpeix.org (website in Spanish and Catalan only)

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Receiving the award from the FDM Executive Vice President

Doctor Ordovás is Professor of Nutrition and a Senior Scientist at the USDA-Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston, Massachusetts where he also is the Director of the Nutrition and Genomics Laboratory. He is a Senior Scientist at the CNIC, Madrid.

He obtained his degree in chemistry in 1978 and his doctorate in biochemistry, both from the University of Zaragoza. His main research focuses on the close relationship between nutrigenomics and the emergence of cardiovascular disease and obesity. He has published over 500 articles in various scientific journals and has been honoured with numerous awards throughout his career.

The Mediterranean Diet Foundation (FDM), the Spanish Nutrition Foundation (FEN)and the International Food and Beverage Exhibition in Barcelona, Alimentaria, instituted two years ago the Gregorio Varela Mosquera Award to distinguish personalities from the scientific and academic world for their contribution to a better understanding and dissemination of healthy eating and the Mediterranean Diet, which also takes into account the human and personal qualities of the honouree, beyond their professional career. The First Gregorio Varela Mosquera Award was given to Dr. José Mataix in 2008.

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Inauguration of the 3rd Internacional Forum

Organized by “Terroirs et Cultures” and “ATED” (Association Talassementane pour l’Environnement et le Développement) of Morocco, it enjoyed the patronage of UNESCO and the institutional and financial support of the Moroccan Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries and Culture and the French Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries.

On behalf of Spain there were representatives of the Governments of the Autonomous Communities of the Balearic Islands, Andalusia and Catalonia. The Director General of the Department of Agriculture, Mr. Antoni Díaz, stressed his government’s commitment to both cooperation and support in food cultural heritage, making a special mention to the Mediterranean Diet and its UNESCO nomination. Mr. Francisco Mombiela, as Secretary General of CIHEAM (international Centre for Mediterranean Studies) gave a speech in which he also highlighted the importance of the Mediterranean Diet and hope to achieve its universal recognition by registration in November on the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of UNESCO. In this great capital, resource and cultural heritage shared by all the Mediterranean peoples that is the Mediterranean Diet and the nomination were referred to in the speeches of most Moroccan authorities.

The 3^rd International Forum was attended by over 400 participants from over twenty countries around the world who worked on four themes: diversity, sustainability, “terroirs” and development. Creating a particular route within the Intercontinental Biosphere Reserve of the Mediterranean was discussed that will put the value of natural, cultural and gastronomic heritage in the Mediterranean.

The FDM was involved with the expert Joan Reguant by invitation of the Organization, together with Professor Giuseppe Barbera of the University of Palermo and three French experts, ran the workshop “Comment dynamiser les interventions entre savoir faire, patrimonies locaux et diversité biologique”, presidit per Pablo Eyzaguirre, investigador etnobiologista de Bioversity International.

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Acreditación AMED

The cafeteria located in the Pere Tarrés Youth Hostel in Barcelona, open to the public and frequented by Pere Tarrés Foundation employees, has been accredited as an Amed establishment, ensuring they offer healthy meals to their customers.

The restaurant, managed by Arcasa Catering, serves about 100 meals a day. At noon, the menu can be enjoyed by the hostel customers, the Pere Tarrés employees and the general public; they also serve meals for dinner, but only for the clients of the hostel and booked groups.

This is the first establishment of Arcasa to be accredited Amed outside the health field, so far three hospitals have been accredited in Barcelona and L’Hospitalet de Llobregat.

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Dun Gifford sailing

With great sadness I write these lines on the death of Dun Gifford, president of Oldways, decisive figure in the international movement in favour of the Mediterranean Diet. Death caught Dun and his family by surprise, who had just returned from one of his great journeys, this time to France and Australia, always surrounded by good food, fine wines and best friends. An elegant man, persuasive, persistent, fraternal, logical, dialogue, political, always with a smile, full of ideas and projects that he advocated with such force, enthusiasm and good humour.

His wife Sara Baer-Sinnot, Executive Vice President of Oldways, said these days: He loved food. He loved eating it, talking about it, writing about it, and cooking it. He took very complicated scientific information and made it understandable for everyone, inspiring them to enjoy great traditional health foods and wine. Sara is a powerful woman, persistent, lively and endearing that knows how to preserve the legacy of Dun and continue his voyage (he was a great sailor). In addition to Sara and her son, Dun leaves three more children (Porter, Clarence and Caroline) and five grandchildren. To all of them our heartfelt condolences.

The entire family of the Mediterranean Diet Foundation toasts to you with the best of our cava. Well done!

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1st European Congress on Tourism and Gastronomy

Joan Reguant, Cultural Projects Coordinator of the Mediterranean Diet Foundation, participated in the 1st European Congress on Tourism and Gastronomy that took place in Madrid on 24th and 25th of May.

This first edition of the Congress, which counted with many reputed speakers, underlined the important role of gastronomy in the tourism trade, not only as a complement to the most traditional tourism, but to its recognition as a representative and important element for the agro-food industry, as well as on rural and sustainable development, promoting Spanish products and gastronomy.

Joan Reguant talked about the Mediterranean Diet beyond its well-known reputation as a nutrition guideline, about the lifestyle it represents and its values and habits shared by all the people of the Mediterranean basin, a transnational heritage that helps biodiversity and local production, as well as its gastronomy.

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Ediciones Mayo

A scientific study led by Genevieve Buckland and Carlos Alberto Gonzalez Svatetz, of the ICO-IDIBELL Nutrition, Environment and Cancer unit, is the winner of the XXIII Premios Ediciones Mayo 2010 in the category of best Spanish article published in a foreign journal.
The title of the article is Adherence to a Mediterranean Diet and risk of gastric adenocarcinoma within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort study, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (Am J Clin Nutr 2010;91:381-90). The study demonstrates for the first time that the Mediterranean Diet has a significant protective effect for gastric cancer.
The award ceremony will be next Tuesday, May 18th at the Palau de la Musica Catalana in Barcelona.

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Foto inauguración

The opening of the eighth edition of the Conference reflected the broad support of the institutions to the FDM’s work. In the opening ceremony were present the Secretary of State for Rural Affairs and Water, Josep Puxeu, the coucillor of Agriculture, Food and Rural Action, Joaquim Llena, the Deputa Mayor for Economic Development of the City of Barcelona, Jordi William Carnes, Josep Lluís Bonet, president of Alimentaria, Lluís Serra-Majem, president of the Mediterranean Diet Foundation and Francisco Sensat, president of the Association for the Development of the Mediterranean Diet.

The Conference was opened with a recorded communication from Geneva by the Director of Public Health and Environment of the WHO, Dr. Maria Neira, in support of the Mediterranean Diet as cultural heritage to be protected, and the presentation of the new food pyramid in words of the FDM President, Dr. Serra, “involves an update by a group of experts of a key tool in nutritional education.”

The papers of the 8 sessions of the Conference revised and updated aspects related to nutrition, food and culture of significant products of the Mediterranean Diet such as cereals, bread, olive oil, nuts, wine, dairy, fish and fruits and vegetables.

The papers that analyzed the Mediterranean Diet as a sustainable resource for the entire Mediterranean and as an acient heritage to transmit to future generations, closed the Conference which brought together a large audience interested in the subject.

Aside from the seven sessions devoted to the main products of the Mediterranean Diet, the first edition of the Practical Workshop on Dietary interviews and Basic Anthropometry, applied to the practice and a wine tasting were held.

Once again, the poster call was a success, with the participation of 35 communications. The winners were:

First place: Vitamina D y cáncer de colon y recto. Estudio de casos y controles. Authors: Marta Banqué Navarro, Blanca Raidó Quintana, Isabel Roman Romera, Andra Juliana Sanabria Uribe, Darío López Gallego,Cristina Masuet Aumatell, Josep Maria Ramon Torrell.

Second place: The Mediterranean dietary pattern and mortality in the EPIC-Spain cohort study. Authors: Genevieve Buckland, Carlos A Gonzalez, Antonio Agudo, Miren Dorronsoro, Aurelio Barricarte, Carmen Navarro, María-José Sanchez and Laudina Rodriguez on behalf of the EPIC group.

Third place: Influence of salt percentage on bread rheological properties. Optimum salt dosage based on sensorial, nutritional and technological criteria. Authors: Zulueta, A., Aja, S., Cervera-Valle, L.

Best communication in the field of culture and anthropology: Alimentos del Mediterráneo, diversidad lingüístico. Authors: Emma Martinell y Mª Teresa Lirio.

For more information:

http://congresodietamediterranea.info

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Dr. Serge Renaud, Director of Research at INSERMED in Bordeaux and Professor at the Université de Montreal, and Dr. Michel de Lorgeril of the National French Centre for Scientific Research and Professor at the School of Medicine of Grenoble, received at the Sala Martí Humà of the Museum of History of Barcelona the Grande Covian Award, granted by the Mediterranean Diet Foundation (FDM).

The scientific committee of the FDM has decided to jointly grant the award to the two French researchers “for their long career in the field of research”, which has resulted in numerous articles and publications, which give scientific support to the benefits of the Mediterranean Diet as a lifestyle that can contribute to disease prevention.

One of the greatest researchers that France has provided during the twentieth century, Dr. Serge Renaud, Director of Research at INSERM in Bordeaux and professor at the Université de Montreal, is the scientist that has contributed to the discovery of the benefits of win and of the Mediterranean Diet for the health of the French, describing what is known as the French Paradox. He has published over 200 scientific papers on the relationship between diet (especially omega-3 fatty acids and monounsaturated) and cardiovascular disease. Together with Dr. Michel de Lorgeril, he conducted the famous Lyon Heart Study, a key tool in enhancing the role of the Mediterranean Diet in enhancing the role of the Mediterranean Diet in tertiary prevention. Thanks to these studies the quality of fats in food are beginning to be valued rather than quantity.

Dr. Michel de Lorgeril, cardiologist at the French National Centre for Scientific Research and professor at the School of Medicine of Grenoble, has dedicated more than 30 years to reveal the importance of the diet on health, demystifying the importance of cholesterol and putting emphasis on the importance of the quality of fats in the diet. He has strongly promoted the Mediterranean Diet not only for prevention but also for the treatment of coronary disease. This advanced and sometimes controversial scientist, participated with Prof. Renaud in the Lyon Heart Study mentioned above in addition to numerous papers published over 150 scientific articles and several popular books.

Both have closed the VIII International Conference on the Mediterranean Diet with their lecture on the benefits of this lifestyle and nutrition.

Serge Renaud and Michel de Lorgeril are added to a long list of winners in previous editions, among which are Dr. Valentí Fuster, director of the Cardiovascular Institute at Mount Sinai Medical Centre in New York, and Dr. Xavier Pi-Sunyer, director of the Centre for Obesity Research in New York.

The award was established by the FDM in honor of Francisco Grande Covian, Asturian biochemist researcher and great scholar and defender of the Mediterranean Diet. Grande Covian made popular his extensive scientific knowledge on nutrition, disseminating it in a simple and emphatic way, with two basic facts: that the healthiest diet “is to eat everything but in moderation” and that olive oil is extremely beneficial.

On February 15th 1996, the Spanish Government, in regard to his dedication to the study of nutrition, his scientific contribution and his defense of the Mediterranean Diet, posthumously awarded Professor Grande Covian, the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit in Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

In order for these same merits, the FDM decided to institute the Grande Covian Award to distinguish a personality from the scientific world for their contribution to a better understanding of the influence of the diet on health. This distinction also values the human and personal qualities of the honouree, beyond his professional career. The Grande Covian Award recipient becomes an Honorary President of the FDM’s Scientific Committee.

The FDM has also granted the Honorary Diplomas, recognizing the career of personalities from other sectors that have contributed to the dissemination of Mediterranean culture.

This year, the Foundation has recognized the work of the following people:

- PREDIMED Study (Prevention with Mediterranean Diet), the first trial to evaluate a sample of 7,500 people in nine autonomous communities without symptomatic cardiovascular disease, the benefits during 6 years of following the Mediterranean Diet in primary prevention of cardiovascular disease.

- The SUN Study (University of Navarra Follow-up), an epidemiological cohort in the style of Harvard University in the United States, with 20,500 participants recruited, studies and followed for more than 10 years.

- Rosa Maria Esteva, active entrepreneur in the world of restaurateurs, the group “Tragaluz”.

- Dr. Abel Marine, Distinguished Professor of Nutrition and Food Science, School of Pharmacy, University of Barcelona.

- Active Soria Foundation and the Scientific Foundation of Caja Rural Soria, key players in the mobilization of the Sorian society to actively participate in the visualization of the support of the civil society for the UNESCO nomination.

- Juan Antonio Corbalan, elite athlete and sports medicine physician.

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Hospital

The four hospital cafeterias, two for workers and two open to the public, (serving an average of 500 meals a day) have joined the project, the first in the Spanish state to promote the Mediterranean Diet.

The main buildings of the two hospitals have places signs at decision points to promote the use of stairs.

The partnership between the University Hospital Arnau de Vilanova and the Santa Maria Hospital, CLECE (business that manages the cafeterias), the Department of Health and the Mediterranean Diet Foundation have made this success possible.

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