The opportunities of Italian ice cream in the foreign markets

Exports of Italian packaged ice cream in 2019 achieved a total turnover of 212.6 million euro, equalling 62,103 tonnes (data from Istituto Italiano Gelato – processed by Unione Italiana Food on Istat data). European countries are in pole position, starting with Germany, France, the United Kingdom and Spain.

Click here to discover the authentic Italian gelato and sorbet on Italianfood.com platform

In particular, Germany, which with a share of all but 18% is Italy’s most important partner for ice cream producers, received 9,289 tonnes of ice cream products in 2019, equalling a value of 34.6 million euro. France, which imported 9,361 tonnes of ice cream for a value of 31 million euro, comes in second place in terms of value but ranks first place in terms of quantity. The United Kingdom, on the other hand, reached 9,179 tonnes in 2019 for a turnover of 26.5 million euro, followed by Spain, with an average share of 8% between volume and value and bought 5,373 tonnes of Italian ice cream for a value of 17.1 million euro. The fifth destination country is the Netherlands, which received 4,790 tonnes for a value of 14.6 million euro.

Europe covers the biggest share of export volumes and values with about 90.6%, the Americas account for 4%, while Asia amounts to about 3%. Africa and Oceania close the ranking, covering a share just a little above nought.

ITALIAN GELATO EXPORTS IN THE EU COUNTRIES

As far as consumption habits are concerned, ice cream is mainly consumed at home in all European countries and the preferred package size are multiple packs, purchased in the retail channel. Eastern European markets mark the only exception, where impulse purchases of ice cream in single-serve packs at the supermarket, rather than at the bar as in Italy, have ample space.

With regards to taste, Italians and other Europeans alike favour creamy and rich flavours, while fruity flavours and popsicles are mostly chosen in the summer months.

“For non-European countries, there are obviously logistical issues to consider, as the cold chain must be maintained during the transport. This can become rather arduous over long distances”, explains Giovanna Rufo, Food Technologist at the Istituto Italiano del Gelato (the Italian Gelato Institute). “But there are other factors to consider as well. In China, for example, there is a large production of local ice cream, which is preferred over imported ice cream and in the United States we must not forget the duties. Not to mention that there are strict import rules, given that ice cream is classified as a dairy product, which requires complex bureaucratic procedures.”

“There is also a nutritional aspect to consider: for over ten years the Italian ice cream industry has eliminated trans fats from recipes, thus raising the level of quality even more. We, the Gelato Institute have adopted a code of self-discipline and we have developed a dossier on nutrition and a recipe book for consumers”, concludes Giovanna Rufo.

THE US ICE CREAM MARKET

According to a recent report from the Italian Trade Agency in New York on the US ice cream market, sales in 2019 exceeded $5 billion in value. Ninety-eight percent of American households buy gelato on a regular base, and the average American consumes 4.73 liters per year. Sunday is traditionally the day dedicated to gelato, although 87% of households always have it in their freezers.

In the last few years, the growth of the sector has slowed down due to the greater attention of consumers towards health problems linked to overweight and obesity. On the other hand, the demand for plant-based frozen desserts has increased. Sales are forecast to reach $8.3 billion, primarily due to growth in premium offerings. Dairy Queen, with 4 thousand parlors and $3.6 billion sales, is by far the market leader in retail followed by Baskin-Robbins with $611 million.