For Italians, Bread Means Fresh and Unpackaged
A country that takes so much pride in its culinary heritage couldn’t have been less dedicated to its baked goods. Just as Italians love their olive oil and pasta, they love good bread and piadine.
The Italian bread market is heavily influenced by traditional preferences, but also by the economic hardships that characterized the past two years all over the world. The market experts at Euromonitor International looked at how the market has changed in the past year and explain the most important trends bakers and manufacturers should be weary about.
Consumers opt for artisanal products
According to data analytics firm Euromonitor International, fresh unpackaged bread still accounts for a dominant proportion of volume sales in the leavened bread category. The main drivers of choice in this area are taste and freshness, which are important in bakery products because fresh products are considered to be of higher quality. The key driver in recent years has been the preference for artisanal products, with most consumers appreciating mother yeast – a biologically complex natural yeast in which a range of lactic acid bacteria and yeasts coexist. This type of yeast makes for tastier, more digestible products that last longer and counteracts food waste. Producers strive to adopt solutions that can lengthen the shelf life of the product and, on the other hand, combat waste by implementing certain initiatives such as selling bread at a discounted price from late in the afternoon.
Packaged flatbread proving increasingly popular
Packaged flatbread is also growing in volume terms, thanks to the ever-increasing popularity of piadina. One of the most popular types of packaged flatbread, piadina is an unleavened variety that is part of the gastronomic tradition of the Emilia-Romagna region, but which is enjoyed across the country. During the pandemic, given an increase in home-based working, some Italians became more inclined to buy piadina so that they could easily recreate the kind of gourmet-style wraps and sandwiches they were accustomed to ordering in cafés or restaurants.
A simple food consisting of only a few ingredients, but which allows a hearty and tasty meal to be prepared in a short time, piadina resonates with both the growing interest in simple, natural products that are less processed and with the growing demand for convenience amongst busy consumers. It is a much appreciated and purchased product, especially amongst Millennials. Recent years have seen the launch of many products in this category, differing mainly in the type of flour used. Innovation is always a key factor for companies trying to come up with products that attract the consumer’s attention.