World Pasta Day 2025 was celebrated in Istanbul with messages of global unity and sharing. International Pasta Organization (IPO) President Carl Zuanelli expressed his gratitude for Türkiye’s hospitality and praised the success of the event, noting his delight that World Pasta Day was being celebrated in a “cultural and economic capital” like Istanbul.
The world’s most significant event for the pasta industry, World Pasta Day 2025, returned to Istanbul after 11 years. Organized under the leadership of the International Pasta Organization (IPO) and hosted by the Turkish Pasta Manufacturers Association (TMSD) and the Pasta Producers and Industrialists Association (MÜSAD), the event brought together industry representatives, producers, academics, and media members from around the globe.
During his opening speech, Carl Zuanelli, President of IPO, emphasized both Türkiye’s warm hospitality and the organizational success, expressing his pleasure that World Pasta Day was being celebrated in Istanbul — “a city that embodies both cultural depth and economic vitality.”
“Istanbul is the city that best reflects the spirit of pasta”
Explaining why Istanbul was chosen, Zuanelli said: “Istanbul is a city of both history and innovation. With its millennia of cultural heritage, it represents the past, while its modern dynamism inspires the future — just like pasta. Pasta connects tradition and innovation; it builds bridges between cultures.”
Marking the third time Türkiye has hosted World Pasta Day, Zuanelli highlighted that this year’s event stood out with its themes of global unity, sharing, and sustainable production. He also underlined that the Turkish pasta industry holds a distinguished position in the global market thanks to its strong production capacity and export performance.
30 Years of Tradition: Pasta, a Unifying Force on the World’s Table
Zuanelli reminded attendees that this year marks the 30th anniversary of World Pasta Day, first celebrated by the International Pasta Organization in Rome in 1995.
“The purpose of this special day is to promote pasta as a ‘world table’ food and to celebrate its cultural, nutritional, and economic significance. In 1995, the global population was 5.7 billion; today, it exceeds 8 billion. That means two billion new pasta consumers! Back then, global pasta production was around 7–8 million tons; today, it surpasses 17 million tons. The pasta sector continues to grow, diversify, and reach more people every day.”
Describing pasta as “the world’s most humble yet most beloved food,” Zuanelli said: “Pasta is love at the tip of a fork — it brings joy to tables and unity among cultures.”
“We Must Be a Growth-Oriented, Not a Competitive Industry”
Addressing the industry’s global goals, Zuanelli stressed the importance of collaboration over competition: “Our mission is not to shrink our competitors’ market share, but to grow the entire market by increasing pasta consumption worldwide. Every year, more people discover pasta. By 2050, the world’s population is expected to reach 10 billion — that means billions of new pasta consumers. We are the producers ready to meet that demand, and that’s why we must look to the future with confidence.”
“Anatolia Is the Cradle of Pasta”
Zuanelli concluded his speech by emphasizing Türkiye’s historical importance in durum wheat production, referring to Anatolia as the homeland of pasta: “It is a great honor to be here today, on the fertile lands of Anatolia, where wheat has been lovingly cultivated for thousands of years. Experts from around the world have gathered here to share knowledge and generate ideas. These lands grow not only wheat — they grow inspiration.”
“Pasta Will Be the Food of the Future”
Zuanelli closed his remarks with a hopeful message: “Pasta is the queen of the table — the happiness on our plate. Today, we come together once again with renewed hope for the future of our industry. We will continue to produce, share, and grow together. With a pasta industry rooted in tradition and driven by innovation, our future is truly bright.”
World pasta production exceeded 17 million tonnes
The International Pasta Organisation (IPO) marks its 20th anniversary on World Pasta Day 2025, celebrating two decades of promoting pasta culture and healthy eating worldwide. Global pasta production has nearly doubled since the IPO’s founding, reaching 17 million tons annually.
Almost 10 million kilometers: that’s the length of the “snake” we would get if we lined up all the packages of fusilli and macaroni produced in the last year, enough to circle the earth more than 200 times. In this ideal embrace, on October 25, pasta celebrates its universality, its culture, and its status as a symbol of healthy eating on World Pasta Day.
And the celebrations are twofold for the International Pasta Organisation, which not only organises and coordinates World Pasta Day but is also celebrating its 20th anniversary. Founded on October 25, 2005, the IPO has been promoting and protecting the culture of pasta and healthy eating around the world, as well as all the virtues of this food loved in all cultures, which is accessible, sustainable, practical, and compatible with a healthy diet.
The figures tell us that the gamble of those early years has paid off. According to data from the IPO – International Pasta Organisation, Over the last 20 years, global love for pasta has practically doubled. Production has gone from around 9 to 17 million tonnes with 40 countries producing over 20,000 tonnes of pasta a year. Since 2005 the number of countries where per capita consumption exceeds 1 kilo a year has almost doubled (to 52, from 30). Moreover, pasta has overcome all its challenges: it has been able to speak to all generations, invent and reinvent itself, winning a special place in international eating habits and becoming a symbol of a balanced, wellness-oriented diet that is also rich in flavor.
A milestone achieved thanks to IPO activities that since 2005 has been dedicated to increasing pasta consumption and consumers’ awareness, by advancing their understanding of the nutritional value and health benefits of pasta and safeguarding the image of the pasta sector on an international level.
The International Pasta Organisation currently has 24 members (including two European federations, UN.A.F.P.A. and Semouliers). To support its activities, the IPO has also set up a Scientific Advisory Board, composed of internationally recognized experts in the fields of pasta production, medicine, and food science.
Among the IPO’s contributions to the promotion of pasta, numerous scientific conferences and publications are worthy of mention, such as “Pasta for Everyone”, which focused on the nutritional benefits of pasta and its value in terms of taste and practicality, and the “Pasta for Children Around the World” project, aimed at strengthening knowledge of pasta, its nutritional benefits, and how to prepare it among young people in 21 countries around the world.
“This year we’re celebrating an important milestone that confirms pasta as an extraordinary product that brings joy and conviviality to the tables of millions worlwide every day”, says Carl Zuanelli, president of the IPO. “In the past 20 years, as producers, we’ve seen how chefs constantly reinterpret it, food experts talk about it, anthropologists hail its social, cultural and convivial role, and nutritionists recommend it as part of a healthy, balanced diet. Pasta is a universal food, packed with history and culture, and increasingly a symbol of a healthy diet, whose consumption is constantly evolving. Pasta has the ability to be the perfect food for everyone, a real food of the future, combining flavour and conviviality with an approach to food that’s based on wellbeing and sustainability“.