At national level CEEREAL members continue to play an important role in raising awareness of the nutritional benefits of breakfast and breakfast cereals, and educating consumers in order to improve the diets and nutritional status of citizens across Europe.

Italy Italy

As the first national cereal association to present a "consensus document" on the benefits of breakfast and breakfast cereals, Associazione Industrie del Dolce e della Pasta Italiane (AIDEPI), in cooperation with the Nutrition Foundation of Italy, brought together 10 scientific societies in 2009  to show that the first meal of the day is the most important, yet often underestimated and neglected by consumers. The consensus document provides important information on health, nutrition and consumption choices to European consumers. Marangoni et al. (2009) A consensus document on the role of breakfast in the attainment and maintenance of health and wellness. Acta Biomed. 80: 166-171.

Io comincio bene

In 2013, AIDEPI launched the campaign ´Io Comincio Bene. Storie di Prima Colazione nell´Italia di Oggi´ (I start my day well. Breakfast stories in today´s Italy) to raise awareness on the importance of brekfast. A lot of useful information and breakfast tips are available at http://iocominciobene.it. It is also possible to follow the ´Io Comincio Bene´ campaign on Facebook at the linkhttps://www.facebook.com/IoComincioBene.             

Germany Germany

In Germany, the breakfast cereal manufacturers in the Association of  German Cereal Processors and Starch Producers (VDGS) have launched an online information platform on “how to better breakfast”:http://www.besser-fruehstuecken.com.

The oat millers in VDGS have been working hard to reflect the natural health and power of cereal products, offering professional advice to health professionals, many other stakeholders, and consumers by launching the “Hafer Die Alleskoerner” campaign on the benefits of oats and oat products.

The campaign includes :

  • an online information platform: www.alleskoerner.de
  • Participating at key scientific congresses, in particular to communicate with health professionals around the country
  • Cooperating with other key opinion leader such as the Research Institute of Child Nutrition and the Olympic Center Rhein Ruhr
  • Launching an award on oat research in nutritional and agricultural science

You can follow the campaign on Facebook at the link https://www.facebook.com/haferdiealleskoerner  

France France

In France, the Syndicat Français des Céréales Prêtes à Consommer ou à Préparer continues to provide consumers with up-to-date health and nutrition information. Providing nutrition lessons in 20 dietetic schools across the country, the association has met with more than 600 future dieticians and health professionals since 2009 and more than 1200 dieticians in 20 schools across the country since 2007, providing training on general health and nutrition and on the benefits of breakfast and breakfast cereals. They continue to inform health professionals, consumers, and other stakeholders through their presence at some symposiums and congresses, organising symposiums, providing information through scientific publications, newsletters and a new updated informational web portal: www.matinscereales.com.