Italian industrial fresh pasta is riding the wave of success. According to Appf, the Italian Association of fresh pasta producers, figures speak for themselves. The “values of sale” of industrial packed fresh pasta produced in Italy reached approximately +300% over the last twenty years; this figure is supported by the European market which tripled its sales over the last decade; they currently account for 40% of the whole business.
Big success in Uk, France and Spain
Always according to Appf, it is now difficult to sell in Italy. Therefore, today the European market is a need, not an option. Italian fresh pasta is doing very well in the leading countries (Great Britain, France and Spain); it is also growing in Northern Europe where it is conquering consumers who are used to a different cooking style.
Larger markets are overseas where, basically, they need local production sites. This was Giovanni Rana’s successful approach in the United States.
Italian fresh pasta: the reasons of success
- The choice of excellent ingredients
- The introduction of a modified atmosphere
- The reduction in dough thickness
- The reduction of pasteurization thermal treatments and shelf life maintenance at the same time
- The shift from meat to vegetable fillings
- Frenzy for new recipes and fillings
Today we need means, courage, determination and organization. The whole Italian fresh pasta sector, helped by its proximity to gastronomy, quality based on its excellence choices and also by the opportunity to offer new products, laid the foundations. Its merits and success are based on market moves, updated production technologies and – last but not the least – on law regulations that allowed it to be legally entitled to bear the word “fresh” in Europe, an almost exclusive claim on the market.
What are the strategies required in order to conquer new markets and retain consumers?
These suggestions may be put into practice by all producers, be they Italian or not.
First of all, the quality of ingredients is key.
Some considerations concerning the history of pasta prove it, since they allowed the industry to obtain extraordinary results: the introduction of a modified atmosphere, the drastic reduction in the dough thickness, the reduction of pasteurization thermal treatments and shelf life maintenance at the same time, the big shift from meat to vegetable fillings.
Today the trend is to meet vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free consumers’ needs. Someone already did.
Moreover, the demand for fresh pasta-based “ready to eat” meals shall be taken into account.
Market globalization and an on-going “frenzy for new products” turned these choices not only into a smart option, but also into a trade need, at least at a certain level of entrepreneurship.
Minor producers can strive for “niche” markets or make up new sales means and strategies. Just think about on-line sales and promotions focused on consumer groups through campaigns on social media. Simply because people like fresh pasta, more and more, all over the world.
Trends to benefit from
- Ready-to-eat meals
- Vegetarian proposals
- Vegan proposals
- Gluten-free proposals
