ITALY PASTA STRIKE

A man chooses pasta from the shelf of a shop in downtown Milan, Italy, Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2007. Be it fettuccine, linguine or spaghetti, Italians will soon be paying up to 20 percent more for their pasta. Consumer groups are calling for a one-day pasta strike Thursday _not against eating it, but against buying it _ to protest the increase. But producers say the strike targeting Italy’s national dish is wrongheaded because the price is linked to a global rise in the cost of grains. Pasta is an Italian staple, entwined with the national identity. It’s not uncommon for families to discuss which format of pasta best fits that day’s sauce _ tubular penne, twisty rigatoni or flat linguine. The average Italian eats 28 kilograms (nearly 62 pounds) of pasta a year, on a peninsula so far untouched by low-carb diet crazes. (AP Photo / Luca Bruno)