Every year on 17 January, Italy leads the celebrations of World Pizza Day. Beyond its symbolic value, the anniversary offers an opportunity to underline the concrete role pizza plays in Italian culture and in the national agri-food supply chain.
According to Italmopa – the Italian Millers Association – more than 450 million kilograms of flour, ranging from refined white to wholemeal, are produced every year by Italian mills through a careful selection of the best wheat varieties. This output is destined for the production of over three billion pizzas annually.
“Thanks to flours of absolute quality, derived from unparalleled professionalism and a centuries-old tradition unique on the global stage, our millers are key contributors to the success of a product that symbolizes Italian ‘Made in Italy’ food,” said Francesco Vacondio, President of Italmopa’s Soft Wheat Mills Section. “Pizza is synonymous with conviviality and tradition, yet it is also capable of constant innovation thanks to the exclusive expertise of the Italian milling industry. The flours produced by our mills represent the fundamental ingredient for pizza excellence: thanks to their extraordinary versatility, we are able to offer solutions that fully meet the highest expectations of pizza makers and consumers, in Italy and worldwide.”
WORLD PIZZA DAY AND CONSUMER PREFERENCES
On the consumption side, increasingly oriented towards quality, the Margherita remains firmly in first place as Italy’s most loved pizza. Its simplicity, colours, and aromas continue to resonate with consumers, while Diavola and Capricciosa also remain highly appreciated.