Italy: Food Processing Ingredients

The Italian food-processing industry continues to be highly fragmented, characterized by a growing consolidation of smaller companies. The leading players tend to employ multichannel strategies, which have helped them to offset food service losses with higher sales in the retail channel during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, a gradual return to in-person work, study, and activities left consumers with less time or inclination for home-cooking and home-baking. On the other hand, confectionery, snack bars, ice cream, and pastries benefitted from a gradual return to normality. Italy depends almost entirely on raw material imports, most of which come from other EU countries.