100% Italian pasta, made only with semolina grown in Italy, continues to reap acclaim. The use of domestic wheat has helped revive an iconic food after several years of gradual decline in consumption. Ismea’s report ‘Trends in durum wheat,’ in summary to follow. (1)
100% Italian pasta, back to basics
The appeal to the national origin of semolina, the raw material of pasta, is increasingly driving purchases. In 2019, packages that displayed ‘100% Italian’ on the label had double-digit growth (+13%, in volume and value), even more marked in the first half of the year alone (+23% in quantity and +28.5% in value).
The market share of 100% Italian pasta in total dry semolina pasta consumption thus continues to grow. From a 14 percent share in volume (17 percent in value) in 2018, it has now exceeded 20 percent on both parameters.
More Made in Italy pasta during the lockdown
During the lockdown, sales of pasta soared dramatically. In the first half of 2020, growth (year-on-year) is +8% in volume and +13.5% in value. Despite the closure of public establishments, whose channel (HoReCa) expresses 25 percent of pasta consumption.
The restrictions on international trade and more generally the complications in production processes generated by the pandemic, conversely, ‘have exposed Italy’s milling and pasta processing industries to great vulnerability, given the structural dependence on foreign raw material. In fact, it should be remembered that the quantities of grain coming from across the border range between 30% and 40% of the needs of processors annually‘, the Ismea report explains. Issues overcome a few weeks after the emergency.
100% Italian pasta, who makes it
Like a great many small operators known mostly locally, several industrial pasta factories, prompted by consumer preferences, now produce pasta with semolina grown in Italy.
The shelf offerings were illustrated in a market survey to which we recently referred. With evidence, among other things, to the unhinged reaction of a famous brand that uses overseas wheat and threatens journalists who pointed this out.
Notes
1) V. http://www. ismeamercati.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeBLOB.php/L/IT/IDPagina/10717
Professional journalist since January 1995, he has worked for newspapers (Il Messaggero, Paese Sera, La Stampa) and periodicals (NumeroUno, Il Salvagente). She is the author of journalistic surveys on food, she has published the book "Reading labels to know what we eat".