Italy fights war on foreign food

Italy's war against foreign cooking continued this week at a conference to combat globalisation and preserve the traditional Italian diet.

During the Academy of Italian Cooking's conference in the Umbrian town of Gubbio, Giuseppe Dell'Osso, the academy's spokesman said: "Globalisation is driving our country's traditional dishes to extinction."

Japanese, Indian, Arabian and Chinese dishes are finding favour in Italy's restaurants. Planned openings of the US coffee chain, Starbucks for the first time in Italy next year were opposed by the academy.