Global taste experts & European consumers join forces to map the ‘Taste of Europe’
Brussels, Tuesday 28th April, 2015: Today, Friends of Glass launches its ‘Taste of Europe’ quest in a bid to map Europe’s diverse culinary culture.
Friends of Glass, an active community with members throughout Europe, is inviting consumers to #MapYourTaste. Having devised a fun online quiz, akin to a Buzzfeed quiz, Friends of Glass, is encouraging consumers to contribute to mapping the varying tastes of Europe. When the results are collated they will present an accurate map that represents a ‘Taste of Europe’.
To guide participants, Friends of Glass has created an online Taste Map – which is a platform that features the quiz and results as consumers input their taste preferences. The site also features interesting supporting facts about taste and how glass can preserve it.
To take part, consumers are invited to log onto Friends of Glass. All answers will be used to define personal taste profiles such as salty, sweet, bland, sour or bitter as well as showing how our tastes differ, depending on where we live. Consumers all over Europe can see how their individual preferences compare to those of the country they live in and to those of other European countries. They can also refer to specific information on taste from renowned taste experts assembled by Friends of Glass to support this unique project.
Speaking on behalf of the Friends of Glass community, Vitaliano Torno, President of FEVE, the European Federation of Glass Packaging Manufacturers said: “FEVE is committed to make consumers aware of the benefits of glass packaging. The ‘Look Beyond the Label’ campaign focused last year on health and the inertness of glass. With #MapYourTaste, we are supporting consumer trends and European Food and Beverage cultural heritage.”
Friends of Glass joined forces with globally renowned taste experts such as Andreas Larsson, Swedish Wine Sommelier, voted Best Sommelier of the World; Arno Steguweit, Europe’s first Water Sommelier from Germany; Caroline Furstoss, French Wine Sommelier 2014; Professor Giorgio Calabrese, a renowned Italian Nutritionist; Guillermo Cruz, voted Spain’s Best Sommelier in 2014; Jane Peyton, UK Beer Sommelier of the Year 2014-2015; and Christophe Baert, chef and Vice-President of the Belgian Euro-Toques Association – to create a foundation European Taste Map.
Speaking about the campaign, taste expert Andreas Larsson, Best Wine Sommelier of the World said: “I am partial to a glass of white wine, maybe a glass of Riesling, yet I would also say my taste buds are quite receptive to salty flavours, so I was delighted to discover that my taste profile is salty. I am excited to partner with Friends of Glass as a Taste Maker for this unique challenge. It’s entertaining and I’m confident it will lead to lots of debate amongst people all over Europe as they discover their own taste.”
The #MapYourTaste campaign will go on a Tour d’Europe to various European destinations during 2015. So why not join Friends of Glass at EXPO Milano from 25-29 May, at Salon de la Revue du Vin de France on 5 June or at Taste of London from 17-21 June? The campaign will continue until the end of 2015 also visiting other European cities like Hamburg, Munich and Madrid.
How to take part and #MapYourTaste
Go to www.friendsofglass.com/mapyourtaste and complete the quiz to #MapYourTaste
Discover how your preferences will feed into the Taste Map
Learn more about different tastes from peer consumers and our Taste Makers
Join the Friends of Glass Community on Twitter at @friendsofglass or Facebook, or on www.friendsofglass.com/tastemap to stay up-to-date the #MapYourTaste campaign
Enjoy the pure taste of your food and drink. Choose glass
For more information on the #MapYourTaste campaign, please contact:
Michael Delle Selve, Senior Communications Manager, FEVE, m.delleselve@feve.org ,+32 (0)2 5360080
Christian Prior, Weber Shandwick Brussels, +322899013, cprior@webershandwick.com OR nlawton@webershandwick.com
Editor’s Notes:
About Friends of Glass:
Friends of Glass is an influential European consumer forum that supports and promotes the right of consumers everywhere to choose food and drink products in glass packaging. It unites all those who believe glass is the clear choice for taste preservation, personal health and the environment. Friends of Glass was initiated in 2009 by the European Container Glass Federation (FEVE) in response to a pan-European survey, commissioned by FEVE in September 2008, in conjunction with the research agency, InSites; which found that 74% of European consumers prefer glass packaging for their food and drinks. Today, this figure has increased to 87%.
Defining Taste via the Friends of Glass Taste Map:
Salty, sweet, bland, sour or bitter are five taste categories that are generally agreed as the core parameters to define taste. Spicy and cool tastes can be added to broaden the spectrum. Friends of Glass has created a foundation taste map with global taste experts – this map will act as the basis for the campaign which will be further elaborated on as consumers contribute their own preferred taste.
About Glass Packaging:
An increasing number of Europeans surveyed (87% in 2014 compared to 74% of those surveyed in 2010) recommend glass as their number one packaging choice for food or beverages. This clearly demonstrates consumers trust glass as one of the most pure and inert materials. Glass is made of natural ingredients, is inert, and has no chemical layers. This also means that it doesn’t alter the taste of your food and drinks, and protects the taste and quality of the contents within – which means that glass packaging can also help reduce food waste by extending shelf life. Scientists have also conducted extensive research on the health and safety benefits of glass packaging.
About FEVE:
FEVE, the European Container Glass Federation, is the association of European manufacturers of glass packaging containers and machine-made glass tableware. The federation represents the glass container industry at an international and European level, serving as a forum for examining common questions. FEVE maintains a dialogue with the European institutions and agencies on environmental, trade and other important issues relevant to the industry. The federation promotes glass packaging and glass recycling, complementing the activities of the glass industry at a national level.
#MapYourTaste
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