Where is the market going and what are consumers demanding? Regarding Italy, NielsenIQ reports that through August 2022, distribution sales are € 9.5 billion with a positive +9.7 percent year on year. Fresh produce is on the rise in all distribution channels, especially Discount stores (+10.9 percent), while other dynamic product categories were Cheese (+13.8 percent) and Bread & Pastries & Pasta (+16.1 percent). Frozen produce boomed in August, registering +14.6 percent increase.

The data, therefore, suggest that consumers continue to like the pasta pantry effect, rediscovered during the pandemic lockdowns, but they also crave healthy yet convenient products, such as frozen foods, and want to reap all the nutritional benefits of fresh produce. Are these trends also occurring internationally? In its seamless dialog with supply chain players, TUTTOFOOD 2023 asked this question to a number of buyers representing different world markets.

From Italy to the world: quality, authenticity and sustainability

Among them, the Netherlands is a classic advanced market, very aware of Made in Italy products, among other things. "We see a lot of interest in Italian wines, from all regions of the country,” points out Eduard Baten, buyer for the importer Pura Passione (pure passion). "In food, we rely heavily instead on domestic production, but in recent years the demands for sustainability are causing the intensive Dutch agricultural model to change. For example, in addition to wines, people are increasingly looking at foreign cheeses, in which they seek authenticity, and olive oil is increasingly appreciated. Many Dutch people have firsthand knowledge of Italy and are able to distinguish original products from imitations. In addition, organic produce is always going very strong, which the retail sector is pushing hard."

Instead, as is well known, Eastern European countriesare the markets that evolved the most in recent years. Maurizio Danesi, Principal and Commercial Director of Goravi (Czech Republic ) comments on this: "In these markets, it is very important to clearly state raw ingredients, because consumers still cannot recognize the original product and are often unfamiliar with tastes other than what they are accustomed to domestically. This is precisely why the concept of supply chain is still in its infancy here, although it is much talked about. In general, imports cover a range of very traditional and better-known products, but there is growing demand related to out-of-home, e.g., pizzerias. In this type of background, the industry culture is crucial and events like TUTTOFOOD can lead to potential buyers."

Finally, Asia continues to spark great interest, where, alongside markets that have now "emerged", such as China or Japan, there are still others such as Thailandclassified as emerging markets. "Here we work mainly with high-end products received by airway and destined for hotels and restaurants, as well as selected individuals,” says Roberto Brivio, who operates in the country with importer Lucilla Co. "It is mainly the latter that demand sustainability, while the out-of-home focuses on regional products and, of course, quality and sees sustainability more as an additional cost. In Asian cultures, the personal relationship is very important and, therefore, customers value more trust in the supplier over supply chain control, and that is also why the potential networking at TUTTOFOOD is important."

TUTTOFOOD 2023, at Fiera Milano from May 8 to 11, 2023, is the leading hub in Italy and among the top three hubs in Europe for matching supply and demand in agribusiness. To find out how to become an exhibitor at TUTTOFOOD visit this page. To participate as a professional visitor please go to this page.