Italy is a country well known for the quality and diversity of its cuisine. Traditional foods and family recipes form an integral part of national culture. Preservation of these food values is important to many Italians (as it is for other Europeans as well) and in recent years the concept of ‘slow food’ has emerged as a means of countering the growth of ‘fast food’ outlets in Italy. The slow food movement28 has now spread from Italy around the globe and it attracts interest from a wide cross-section of both food professionals and consumers.