(ANSA) - ROME - Chocolate and cocoa-based products continue to be one of the favorite "cuddles" of Italians and above all one of the comfort foods of the pandemic period.
This is what emerges with the World Chocolate Day, scheduled for tomorrow 7 July.
To win the derby of consumption, between milk chocolate and dark chocolate, is the first that finds greater appreciation, while the dark, in the opinion of operators and pastry chefs such as vice president of the Italian Federation of Pastry, Ice Cream and Chocolate, Matteo Cutolo, remains a point of reference for professionals.
The market also smiles at the delicacy sector preferred by most of the compatriots.
According to the data of Unione Italiana Food (association of direct representation of food product categories) the 2021 production of chocolate and cocoa-based products for final consumption, already positive in 2020, in fact involved 377,858 tons of finished products (+6, 4%) for an increase of 6.8% on the previous year, equal to 5,130.5 million euros.
Chocolates, "compared to the poor performance recorded in the transition to 2020", closed last year with a + 17.7% in volume on the previous year and an increase in value of + 17.6%, totaling 165,146 tons per a turnover of 2,748.3 million euros.
On the other hand, the performance was not positive for Easter eggs which recorded a -11.3% in volume which was accompanied by an almost similar decrease, to -13.9% in value.
"It is an excellent result in general and the growth is widespread in all segments on which the trend of chocolates with all types of packaging stands out - comments Mario Piccialuti, general manager of Unione Italiana Food - both in bags, cases and boxes. The decline in Easter eggs is instead due to the fact that last year family reunions and sociability were still very limited by Covid and therefore many had to give up bringing the classic Easter egg as a gift to relatives and friends as usual. ".
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It is an excellent result in general and the growth is widespread in all segments on which the trend of chocolates with all types of packaging stands out - comments Mario Piccialuti, general manager of Unione Italiana Food - both in bags, cases and boxes.
The decline in Easter eggs is instead due to the fact that last year family reunions and sociability were still very limited by Covid and therefore many had to give up bringing the classic Easter egg as a gift to relatives and friends as usual. ". (ANSA).
It is an excellent result in general and the growth is widespread in all segments on which the trend of chocolates with all types of packaging stands out - comments Mario Piccialuti, general manager of Unione Italiana Food - both in bags, cases and boxes.
The decline in Easter eggs is instead due to the fact that last year family reunions and sociability were still very limited by Covid and therefore many had to give up bringing the classic Easter egg as a gift to relatives and friends as usual. ". (ANSA).