Italian food products in the foreign markets recorded sales for of 36.8 billion euro in 2015. According to Istat data, the traditionally popular made in Italy products played a key role, accounting for 20% of the total. Other products, such as beer and caviar, experienced exponential growth.
TOP 5 MOST EXPORTED PRODUCTS – Wine is still the most exported product with 5.4 billion euro. Second place goes to fresh fruit and vegetables with an estimated value of 4.4 billion euro (2015), followed by pasta with 2.4 billion euro. Cheese is also in the top 5, with estimated exports worth 2.3 billion euro, while the classic “pummarola” (tomato puree) helps processed tomatoes reach 1.5 billion euro. Italian agri-food’s excellent performance was also supported by two other strategic food categories, namely olive oil and cured meats, which recorded both sales of 1.4 billion euro.
NEW FOOD CATEGORIES GROWING – In the last ten years, in addition to the consolidation of the most important food categories of our export, the sector has also witnessed the affirmation of new products, which are traditionally associated with the food tradition of other countries. Beer, whose export value has tripled (+206%), has conquered the markets of traditional producers such as Great Britain or Germany. The same goes for caviar, which in a decade has gone from zero to 11.2 million euro, affirming itself on the dinner tables of Russia before being blocked by the embargo (due to the Ukraine crisis). Last but not least, are fresh and processed mushrooms, which have tripled their exports.