A large-scale online survey has revealed marked differences in the diets of people in Northern, Southern, Central and Western Europe, with Europeans showing no single set of habits when it comes to fermented foods, the website infohub.kz reports.
The results of PIMENTO, a major European study on fermented food consumption, have been published in the British Journal of Nutrition. The online survey involved 12,646 adult residents from 53 countries. Researchers analysed the diets of participants from four European macro-regions using a specialised 3FQ questionnaire with portion photographs to assess the amount and frequency of food intake.
The authors classified as fermented foods not only traditional dairy products but also coffee, chocolate and fermented grains produced with the involvement of microorganisms. The analysis showed that only fermented dairy products enjoy equally high popularity in all regions, with 94.1% to 95.6% of respondents consuming them regularly. Coffee, chocolate and fermented vegetables were also highly popular, but their daily consumption volumes differed noticeably.
The largest regional differences were recorded for fermented legumes, meat and fish products, and plant-based alternatives, which are most popular in Western Europe. The study's authors stress that how often foods are included in the diet and their actual volume are independent indicators. The findings point to the need for regional rather than single Europe-wide recommendations on healthy eating.