Italian hard cheeses continue to feed domestic demand, as well as global demand. (1) Especially in the Northwest of the Peninsula, with a peculiar concentration of hard cheese sales – 42% of total sales in Italy – in the Regions of Piedmont, Aosta Valley, Liguria, and Lombardy alone.
Cheese, a hard market
Sales of Parmigiano Reggiano, Grana Padano, pecorino, and various other typical aged cheeses – flagship of Italian cheese production – have reached record levels, according to data reported by Assolatte.
Purchases in the GDO (Large Organized Distribution) in Italy have grown, in the 12 months ending August 2019, reaching:
– in volume, almost 36 thousand tons (+4.4%),
– in value, 550 million euros (+5.7%). A record turnover in the modern distribution channel alone, adding to that of traditional distribution and other sales channels.
The advantage of flakes and grated
The best Performance is that of hard cheeses packaged in flakes. A format worth over 13 million euros, grown in one year both in value (+15.3%) and volume (+13.9%).
Grated hard cheeses – the ready-to-use versions of the famous DOPs, sometimes also mixed – nevertheless represent the most important segment, in terms of volumes (69.4%) and turnover (64.8%). With a still lively growth trend, +3.7% in value and +2.3% in volume.
Traditional hard cheeses sold in pieces
Hard cheeses sold in pieces continue to grow in double digits as well. Their total value, 142 million euros, indeed expresses growth in the 12 months equal to 11.8% in value and 13.8% in volume.
Stable instead the bocconcini market, a format worth 37 million euros but showing no significant changes (+0.1% in value).
Notes
(1) For an update on the extraordinary global performances of Grana Padano PDO, see the previous article https://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/mercati/grana-padano-dop-prosegue-la-crescita-del-leader-globale
Professional journalist since January 1995, she has worked for newspapers (Il Messaggero, Paese Sera, La Stampa) and magazines (NumeroUno, Il Salvagente). Author of investigative reports on food, she published the book 'Reading labels to know what we eat'.
