Presence and strategic use of the Mediterranean Diet in food marketing: Analysis and association of nutritional values and advertising claims from 2011 to 2020

Abstract

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.