The National Pasta Association to Increase Member Categories in 2021

With Goal of Expanding Membership, the Trade Association will add Foodservice and Retail Categories to Membership Roster

Press release

The National Pasta Association (NPA), the leading trade association for the U.S. pasta industry, is seeking to expand its membership reach in the coming year and beyond. The goal behind this expansion is to create a larger, more engaged NPA membership that is comprised of a diverse range of pasta industry representatives. Current membership categories within NPA include Manufacturing (pasta producers), Milling (flour and grain producers), and Associate (allied products, supplier and service providers and entities with an interest in pasta).

“NPA leadership wants to expand the organization’s reach and influence within the pasta industry and believes the more diverse and inclusive our member base is, the more knowledge we can all collectively gain,” said Carl Zuanelli, Board Chair of NPA, President and Founder of Nuovo Pasta. “We plan to do this by increasing membership for dry, fresh, and frozen pasta, including international and associate membership, and of course, exploring new membership categories.”

The new membership categories will include companies in the foodservice and retail sector:

Foodservice Category 

Those who prepare, deliver and serve prepared and ready-to-eat foods by consumers, including, business and industry (B&I), distributors, major restaurant chains, and individual restaurants. 

Retail Category 

Those who sell goods to the consumer in small and/or large quantities, including grocery chains and stores, club stores, wholesalers, and other retail stores. 

Companies joining these new membership categories will have access to NPA’s incredible benefits, including: 

• The ability to increase education and understanding of the pasta industry through NPA communications, educational webinars and attendance at the NPA Annual Meeting;
• Access to networking opportunities, including connecting with top executives and leaders from all segments of the industry, in order to expand business and build relationships with manufacturers and others in the industry;
• An open invitation to get involved with NPA’s forums, meetings and promotions;
• Consistent and frequent updates on public affairs work and nutrition updates through various communication methods, including NPA’s Pasta Journal and Pasta Bytes;
• A company profile to announce your membership to NPA that will be featured in the Pasta Journal member e-newsletter;
• Ability to participate in telling pasta’s story through a consumer communications campaign focused on increasing the overall consumption of pasta.

“We are thrilled to be able to welcome new members and new member categories to the National Pasta Association,” said Delia Murphy, Executive Director of NPA. “Not only will it add unique perspectives to our current membership, but it will better equip our organization as a whole to understand and communicate the story of pasta in the U.S. and around the world.”

The National Pasta Association will also be adding industry contributor categories in 2021as non-formal members. These will include Industry Experts and Ambassadors. For additional information about becoming a member of NPA, please reach out to Elizabeth Katsion at ekatsion@kellencompany.com or info@ilovepasta.org.

About the National Pasta Association (NPA)

NPA is the leading trade association for the U.S. pasta industry. NPA encourages the consumption of pasta by being the center of knowledge and promoting sound public policy to the consumer, the industry and the regulatory bodies because a sustainable pasta industry is vital to healthy diets. For more information, please visit www.ilovepasta.org.