Pasta made from 100% Italian wheat: the Ministry of Agriculture claims it is safer and healthier, but this is not true

From 21 August 2026, Rai channels will be airing the first advert in a new public information campaign dedicated to pasta, produced by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forests (MASAF), headed by Francesco Lollobrigida, in collaboration with ISMEA and the Italian Volleyball Federation. The stars of the advert are several champions from the men’s and women’s national volleyball teams, and the message is conveyed by some very well-known faces, such as Anna Danesi, Carlotta Cambi, Stella Nervini, Paola Egonu, Simone Giannelli, Daniele Lavia and Riccardo Sbertoli…

The issue with the advert concerns the line spoken by Simone Giannelli, who says:“Don’t just choose based on price: greater safety, better health, more support for our businesses”. Meanwhile, Paola Egonu states:“With pasta made from Italian wheat, Italy wins”.

The link between 100 per cent Italian wheat, greater safety and better health is completely unsubstantiated and entirely incorrect, as it suggests to consumers that there are health benefits which do not exist…

Perhaps, given that Italian durum wheat is sold below cost and that over the past 13 years the area under cultivation has fallen by 10 per cent, whilst the proportion of demand met by domestic production has plummeted from 78 per cent to 56.5 per cent, what was needed was not an advert – paid for with our money – but a serious crackdown on unfair practices (which, as far as I am aware, nobody is carrying out).

Drafted on 27 August, updated on 28 August 2026