Andalusia meeting

Clara Aguilera (centre) met with officials from the Culinary Institute of America

The Spanish region of Andalusia and the Culinary Institute of America have staged a meeting to examine ways of promoting the Mediterranean diet and Andalusian fruits and vegetables in the US.

Andalusia’s minister of agriculture, Clara Aguilera, met with officials from the organisation last week to discuss ways in which the Spanish region could collaborate with the institute to highlight to internationally-recognised healthy means of consumption to the US public.

The meeting also examined strategies for the development and distribution of the region’s products in the US supply chain, according to a statement issued by Andalusia’s department of agriculture.

The Culinary Institute of America, which has its headquarters in San Francisco and runs courses to promote culinary excellence, has in the past collaborated with a number of European and Spanish public institutions and private companies.

In a separate development, the Andalusian government is distributing 1.5m pieces to fruit to an estimated 120,000 pupils in 616 primary schools in the region as part of its ‘Plan for Fruit Consumption in Schools’.

The campaign is being supported by a study pack detailing the benefits of eating five pieces of fruit a day, as well as a number of events, including a cookery competition, that will be staged in each of the participating schools.