Global pasta industry to converge in Istanbul for World Pasta Day 2025
Hosted by the Turkish Pasta Manufacturers Association (TMSD), the event will spotlight pasta’s enduring role as both a cultural symbol and a forward-looking food
TURKEY – The global pasta industry will gather in Turkey later this month for World Pasta Day 2025, a three-day celebration to be held in Istanbul from October 24 to 26, under the theme “From Tradition to the Future.”
Hosted by the Turkish Pasta Manufacturers Association (TMSD) and the Pasta Producers and Manufacturers Association (MÜSAD) in collaboration with the International Pasta Organisation (IPO), the event will spotlight pasta’s enduring role as both a cultural symbol and a forward-looking food.
World Pasta Day, observed annually on October 25 since its inception in 1998, was first proposed by a Turkish delegation at a 1995 meeting in Rome.
The initiative gained formal recognition in 1997 in the United States, with the inaugural celebration held in Naples, Italy. Coordinated by the International Pasta Organisation (IPO), the event rotates among host countries each year. This year marks the third time Turkey will host, following earlier editions in 2008 and 2013.
Organizers say the event will not only celebrate pasta as a culinary icon but also emphasize its role as a sustainable, nutritious, and cross-cultural food. A scientific consensus statement, endorsed by nutrition experts, affirms pasta as a key component of healthy diets and seeks to dispel long-standing misconceptions about carbohydrates.
World Pasta Day 2025 is expected to attract participants from 15 countries, including pasta associations, manufacturers of pasta lines, chefs, scientists, gastronomy experts, and international media.
The program will feature panel discussions with leading experts, live demonstrations of culinary innovations, and tasting sessions of special recipes from world-renowned chefs.
The event has deep roots in the country, stemming from the idea of establishing World Pasta Day, which was first proposed by a Turkish delegation at an industry meeting in Rome in 1995.
The 2025 theme pays tribute to pasta’s historical origins in Anatolia, where durum wheat sprouted in the Karacadağ region some 10,000 years ago. Today, that heritage continues to sustain a thriving modern industry.
Turkey has become one of the world’s largest pasta producers, with output surpassing 2 million tons annually and a production capacity close to 3 million tons per year.
Exports have been particularly strong. In 2023, Turkey shipped about 1.4 million tons of pasta abroad, earning nearly US$ 911 million in export revenues.
The TMSD has set a goal of lifting exports to 1.5 million tons, supported by strong demand across Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America.
Underlying this success is the country’s growing strength in durum wheat production. Turkey harvested around 4.3 million tonnes of durum wheat in 2023, up from 3.75 million tonnes the previous year, according to official data.
Expanding cultivation areas and improving yields have boosted domestic supplies, reducing reliance on imports and enhancing Turkey’s role as a reliable supplier to global pasta markets.
By combining history, innovation, and global dialogue, Istanbul will become a hub for the pasta industry during the three-day gathering, to strengthen networks across borders, highlight new trends in production and consumption, and showcase pasta as a unifying food that bridges cultures and promotes sustainability.
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