The Mediterranean Diet (MD) has been recognized as a dietary pattern that has multiple benefits in health and
many other sustainable development goals proposed by the United Nations. It was also recognized by UNESCO as
the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Aware of those benefits, advertising uses the MD as a claim to
reach consumers. This paper aims to associate the nutritional values of those food and drink products advertised
between 2011 and 2020 and the use of the “Mediterranean” ...
The Mediterranean Diet (MD) has been recognized as a dietary pattern that has multiple benefits in health and
many other sustainable development goals proposed by the United Nations. It was also recognized by UNESCO as
the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Aware of those benefits, advertising uses the MD as a claim to
reach consumers. This paper aims to associate the nutritional values of those food and drink products advertised
between 2011 and 2020 and the use of the “Mediterranean” concept as part of its marketing discursive strategy.
To this end, a quantitative and qualitative methodology that included a content analysis of these advertisements
was used. To determine the nutritional quality of those food products, the Nutri-Score system was utilized. The
main findings concluded that most of the food products and drinks advertised under the concept “Mediterranean”
are not included in the nutritional pyramid of the MD. Although some of the MD typical foods have reached a low
nutritional food value due to their alteration with ultra-processed ingredients, it has been shown that the product
categories, which falsely claim DM, have even a lower nutritional value. The study also pointed out the need for
stricter regulation in food and beverage marketing since misleading language can damage consumers’ health.
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