· TUTTOFOOD 2021 launches TUTTOFRUIT, the new section dedicated to fresh-cut and ready-to-use products, fresh and dry fruit and vegetables, herbs and spices

· TUTTOFOOD confirms its position as an innovator capable of transforming the most dynamic consumer trends into business opportunities

· In 2019, fresh-cut products grew by +1.1% in value for a total of 877 mn euro, with purchasing by 20 million families

· Sales of dry fruit in the mass retail segment grew by 2.5% in value, with a peak of +7.9% for shelled goods

· An international market in which Italy is the second largest European producer after Spain, and the first producer of table grapes, pears, kiwis and apricots

Snacks are fresh, preferably pre-cut, often impulse purchases at the supermarket checkout. With spring and summer on the way, light working lunches take the form of a bowl of vegetables, fruit and superfoods. And for many consumers, dinner, even away-from-home, is vegetarian/vegan, made of a mix of cooked vegetables, legumes and wholegrain cereals.

Ready-to-use fruit and vegetables are an increasingly popular consumer trend, combining healthy eating with the rhythms and requirements of modern life. And TUTTOFOOD, the International Food Fair scheduled to be held at fieramilano, 17 - 20 May 2021, confirms its placement as an innovator capable of expressing the most dynamic emerging trends, dedicating special attention to these segments of the market.

TUTTOFRUIT: a new section for a growing market segment

On the heels of the success of the 2019 edition of the Fruit Innovation exhibition, next year fresh fruit and vegetables, together with fresh-cut (fresh packaged fruit and vegetables) and ready-to-use (packaged cooked fruit and vegetables) products, will be the protagonists of a fully fledged new section, TUTTOFRUIT: they will have their own section of the exhibition, thus valorising more effectively fruit and vegetable products with a high service content. In addition to fresh-cut and read-to-use products, professional visitors will find dry, dehydrated and fresh fruit as well as fresh vegetables, legumes, organic products and aromatic herbs and spices. Significant numbers of national and international producers are expected, while Italian and foreign professionals will include, among others, importers and wholesalers, mass retail buyers, Ho.Re.Ca. industry representatives and distribution platform operators.

TUTTOFOOD thus transforms into a concrete business opportunity a trend which is not just about lifestyle, but is also economic, with year-on-year growth. According to market figures published by Nielsen, in 2019 fresh-cut products grew in value by +1.1%, reaching a total turnover of 877 mn euro, and in volume by +3.1% - even in a year often negatively affected by unfavourable climatic conditions. The growth of the sector was driven both by the growing number of consumers, which reached the threshold of 20 mn families, and by the increased average spend (1.89 euro) and frequency of purchase (19.5 purchases/year). The by-volume increase figures indicate that there is space for further growth in value, highlighting high added value solutions like bowls with condiments and cereal salads for lunch away-from-home.

Dry fruit also performed well, as indicated by the IRI figures for mass retail, and grew in 2019 by 2.5% in value and 2.7% in volume over the previous year. Shelled products stand out with growth of +7.9% in value and +12.8% in volume. In line with new consumer trends, the semi-toasted subcategory finished 2019 with growth in sales of 5.8% in value and 3.8% in volume.

Focus on internationalisation

Fruit and vegetables is an increasingly central market, and not just in Italy. According to Eurostat, in 2019 EU production of fresh fruit exceeded 102 mn tons, while vegetables (59.5 mn) grew by 3% over the previous season. Italy is the second largest European producer after Spain, for both fresh fruit (10.8 mn tons) and fresh vegetables (6.9 mn). In particular, it is the largest European producer of table grapes, pears, kiwis and apricots.

Thanks to its level of internationalisation, which makes it unique among Italian exhibitions, TUTTOFOOD 2021 will be the ideal occasion for grasping these opportunities for business. A total of 3,079 brands were present at the 2019 edition, of which 16% international from 43 countries, with particularly high numbers of those from the USA, China, the UK, France and Germany. There were a total of 82,551 professional visitors, of which 23% foreign from 143 countries and, in particular, from the USA, Spain, France, Germany, the United Kingdom and China. Visiting operators are composed, in particular, of decision-makers from the food industry (31%) and distributors, wholesalers, representatives (31%), with a significant presence also from the world of retail (9%) and food service equipment and catering (8%).

Thanks to a major investment in scouting, also in collaboration with ITA/ICE Agenzia, new high-profile buyers are constantly integrated in the top buyer portfolio. The focus areas of the next edition will be the USA, Canada and Middle East, alongside a reinforcement of traditional markets. A total of 13,609 business meetings were organised at the 2019 edition. 92% of buyers stated they were satisfied or extremely satisfied and 91% would recommend visiting TUTTOFOOD to others.

For more information: www.tuttofood.it/en, @TuttoFoodMilano.