Market

  Faced with a global emergency such as the Covid-19 virus, the European authority has finally intervened. Marta Hugas, Scientific Assistance Directorate of EFSA (European Food Safety Authority), had this to say: “There is no scientific proof that food is a source or vehicle of transmission of the Covid-19 virus: transmission occurs through the pharyngeal-nasal tract and, as far as we are currently aware, not through the digestive tract. The European Union benefits from clear rules and regulations regarding biosecurity and industrial hygiene and these rules guarantee a high level of food safety for consumers”. EFSA has issued a statement affirming…

  With a turnover of more than 16 billion euros, crisis is an unknown word to the leadership of Italian handmade gelato. A supply chain that includes the producers of raw ingredients and semi-finished goods, machine manufacturers, and finally the finished product prepared and served by the master ice-cream makers, with Made in Italy on top of the world at all such stages. An estimated 100,000 ice cream parlours exist worldwide, and the business continues to grow by 5% every year. Italy is the undisputed home of handmade gelato and the world’s greatest consumer. It boasts 19,000 production and sales…

  Let’s get one thing clear: the Covid-19 virus cannot be transmitted through food products, nor through the packaging containing said products. This needs to be clearly stated once and for all considering the recent disinformation that has been spread thanks to the current state of collective psychosis. In the uttermost silence of the European Committee, Italian food products are currently suffering a speculative boycotting. This situation, in the words of the Italian government’s Minister of Agricultural Policies, Teresa Bellanova, “risks leading to a block in Italy’s food and agriculture exports”. In an open letter, Minister Bellanova denounces “the position…

  The agri-food sector is the number one driving force behind Italian industry. Compared to the contraction seen in two longstanding sectors of its manufacturing industry – fashion (-4.6%) and the automotive sector (-4.4%) – the latest report issued by Coldiretti, the Italian national farming federation, has announced an increase of 3% in the agri-food sector, based on ISTAT national statistics. Coldiretti stresses how food has become Italy’s main source of wealth thanks to its extensive agrifood supply chain, which stretches from fields to shelves to catering businesses and is worth €538 billion, the equivalent of 25% of the country’s…

  Anuga, the most important food & beverage fair in the world, which took place in Cologne from October 5th to October 9th 2019, put the latest trends, innovations, and visionary plans for the future of food in the spotlight. Boasting over 170,000 specialized visitors (+3% compared to 2017) from 201 countries, and about 7,500 exhibitors (7,405 in 2017) from 106 countries, the trade fair has once again established its leadership, breaking every possible record. “The constant growth in number of exhibitors and visitors confirms Anuga’s extraordinary global importance as the top international business platform in the sector. Upon achieving…

  With an estimated turnover of 15 billion euros per year, pizza confirms its reputation as a Made in Italy goldmine. The data recorded by Coldiretti – Italian federation of independent farmers – confirms the growth trend of one of the pillars of the Mediterranean diet. Pizza has established itself as one of the most versatile dishes in Italian cuisine, and the cornerstone of an economic system including 128,000 pizzerias nationwide. Its growth supports the employment of 110,000 full-time staff, and the same number of part-time weekend staff. “Passion for pizza is a global matter”, states a Coldiretti memo, “with…

  Compared to the record level achieved in 2018, a 16% fall in Italian production is expected in 2019, amounting to an estimated 46 million-hectolitre deficit. In spite of this, Italy is set to maintain its world leadership once again. These are the predictions of the Osservatorio del Vino (wine observatory) presented in Rome at the Ministry of Agricultural, Food, Forestry, and Tourism Policies. For the first time ever, Assoenologi (national association of oenologists), ISMEA (institute for food and agricultural market services), and UIV (Italian wine organization) have joined forces and skills to provide the data. More specifically, the 2019…

  Following the year 2017, penalized by the unfavourable weather trends, in 2018 Italian agriculture has regained a positive role in contributing to the national economy (+0.9%): this is what emerges from the 2018 report drafted by ISMEA (the Italian institute for food and agricultural market services). Employment in the sector has also grown in 2018 (+0.6% compared to 2017), as a result of a 1.6% increase in employees and a slight decrease in freelance workers. The number of agricultural businesses registered in the Italian Company Register has slightly fallen – about 750,000 as at the end of 2018 –…

  It was born in Denmark in 2016 and has just landed in Italy. We’re talking about Too Good To Go, the app that allows cafés, restaurants, bakeries, pastry shops, supermarkets, and hotels to sell –  at a discounted price – food that is ‘too good to go’, thus allowing consumers to take a tangible (and convenient) action against food waste. Launched in March 2019, today Too Good To Go Italia – available in Milan, Turin, Bologna, Florence, Verona, and Genoa – boasts 150,000 users. Across Europe the app is already present in 12 countries, with a total of 10…

  Whether red, white, flat, mild or pungent, onions are one of the staples of the Mediterranean diet. Scientifically known as allium cepa, onions are a bulb full of mineral salts and vitamins that, raw or cooked, produce unmistakable fragrances and flavours. There are a host of native Italian varieties that are essential ingredients in the most well-known dishes. Every area has its own cultivar boasting unique characteristics. Let’s explore the most important of these: The Acquaviva red onion: a variety from Puglia, it has a large, flat shape and a purplish colour, though the flesh inside is white. It…

  Italians drink beer more and more frequently, and above all, they regularly choose beer produced in Italy, giving life to a trend that is revolutionizing the market. It is craft beer that is growing in particular, to the detriment of industrial beers. The data collected by Unionbirrai – the organization of Italian microbreweries – highlights, over the 2015-17 triennium, a shocking 55% increase in the number of breweries – from 649 to 1,008 – and a 16% increase in employment – from 7,893 to 9,126 employees, many of whom under 35 years. Medium-term predictions are equally positive: a 10%…

  For decades, grappa has been little more than a form of pocket heating for farmers in Northern Italy. The ‘cool’ Italians and most foreigners disdained it”, wrote R.W. Apple Jr. on the New York Times in 1997. Things have changed a lot since then. Today, the grappa market is quite solid indeed. In 2017 the top-10 Italian companies achieved a total turnover of 211 million euros, with an average growth by 6% compared to 2016. But let’s take it from the top. What exactly is grappa? Grappa is the par excellence national spirit, 100% Italian in terms of historic…