Both in Italy and throughout the world, De Cecco is “the” premium pasta brand. From Japan to the United States, Russia and Brazil: a great world empire dominated by high quality spaghetti, macaroni, and other shapes. Also in the first half of 2017, the outlook for De Cecco’s exports is positive. For over 130 years, this pasta producer from Fara San Martino (near Chieti) has been the most popular company in the area. Another year has passed and that +6% by volume of exports is yet another confirmation of this company’s success. Last year, aside from the Italian market (+6%) the best results came from the EU, in particular from France, Germany, Belgium, and Switzerland, followed by Russia, which is recovering fast despite the ongoing embargo. Outside of the EU, exports to Japan, South Korea, Canada, Mexico, and Brazil are faring well. In 2017, the company’s European policy focused in particular on strengthening its commercial presence in the German market, as well as the opening of a subsidiary in Spain, where De Cecco has established its presence in high-quality restaurants. On the other side of the Atlantic, the United States, Italy’s largest overseas market, has once again taken centre stage: after the positive 2016 results, this year, the company from Fara San Martino intends to focus on all the growth opportunities offered by the American, Central American, and Canadian markets. Coming to Asia, in addition to the established Japanese and South Korean markets, two are the areas that are currently offering increasingly interesting opportunities to De Cecco: the Middle East, in particular in the UAE, where the company put its products on the shelves of the strategic Spinneys and Carrefour retailers, and China, whose foodservice channel is closely monitored by the Italian company.
Exports strategy
Just like every year before, De Cecco’s export strategies were followed by the participation in the 2017 edition of the most popular international food fairs, from Fancy Food to Anuga. Both abroad and in Italy, comments Luciano Berardi, Sales Director for Europe of F.lli De Cecco, what matters to us is a safe and gradual growth that goes hand in hand with consistent quality, something that must be equally guaranteed to all of our consumers worldwide. So, for example, the protein content of our pasta must be consistent with precise standards. If the domestic production of durum wheat is disappointing from a quality point of view, we resort to importing raw materials, mainly from the United States, to integrate the volumes needed and ensure the same quality.
Italian regional products for the USA market
De Cecco’s exports also include a new line of typical regional pasta products made exclusively for the United States. The packaging is designed specifically for the foodservice operator. The aim is to give a further boost to the increase in sales of a channel, such as middle-high level restaurant and luxury hotels, where customers increasingly seek a personalized and distinctive offer, in other words, a unique product. The launch of this line, explains Stanislao Marrazzo, Sales Director for the American Foodservice Segment and Distributor in the US of De Cecco – Pmi Inc., represents our commitment to raise awareness about the knowledge of quality requirements that the best Italian pasta must have. Selling is not enough, so we’re also committed to explaining to the restaurant and foodservice operators what the six steps are that are included in the process and method of De Cecco’s pasta manufacturing. It is up to us to ensure that this kind of information gets to the final consumer. Following this concept, we are introducing a completely new line of regional specialties for the American market. It includes five typical items that will be produced exclusively for this market, sold in different formats (from 1 kg to 5 kg), to better meet the needs of our customers.
The organic line: the year of egg pasta
In 2016, the success of De Cecco’s organic line – first in foreign markets and then in Italy – was very clear. The pasta company continues to develop new products and awaken the interest of consumers throughout the world. Since last April, in fact, five organic egg pasta items were launched in Italy and in major international markets worldwide. Moreover, two tomato sauces and two extra virgin olive oils were added to the preexisting 43 products: 22 durum wheat pasta items, 10 Kamut pasta items, 4 (250 g packs) small shaped pasta items, three Kamut baked items, a new extra virgin olive oil, one tomato paste, one re-milled semolina item, and one Kamut organic flour item. De Cecco organic egg pasta – intended for high income consumers, generally organic product users seeking premium sensory and nutritional quality – features only eggs from hens that are raised outdoor, thus of the highest quality standards. The range consists of two Matassine items, two soups, and one lasagna, with the latter intended for special occasions (tomato sauce, broth, and baked versions are available). More precisely, these are Tagliatelle a Nido (250 g), Chitarrina Abruzzese a Nido (250 g), Stelline e Grattata (250 g), and Lasagna (500 g). Moreover, toward the end of the year, the company is expected to launch three new references. “With such a wide offer of organic products,” explains Luciano Berardi, F.lli De Cecco’s Sales Director for Europe, we wanted to confirm to our Italian and international consumers, our intention to meet the emerging needs of the wellness segment. The claim of our line pretty much sums up this strategy: ‘It’s organic, it’s good, it’s De Cecco’.
