Consumed by more than 7 out of ten Italians, the Colomba is the Easter dessert par excellence, a must on the table together with the chocolate egg, and synonymous with Made in Italy excellence.
On the occasion of Easter, the "Buone Fette" communication project of Unione Italiana Food turns the spotlight on the excellence of anniversary leavened products, to highlight how the Reserved Denomination is a guarantee of authenticity, quality, transparency and safety for the consumer.
"To choose a quality Colomba we recommend first of all relying on the big brands. The big brands are nothing other than great pastry chefs who, thanks to their skills, have been able to replicate on a large scale an artisanal process which has made the Colomba the typical product symbolizing Easter only at a national level, but also at an international level" says Luca Ragaglini, Deputy Director of Unione Italiana Food.
The first thing to check is that the Colomba Reserved Name is written on the product.
"This presupposes compliance with a rule which, for almost twenty years now, has preserved the ingredients, processing and shape: butter in quantities of no less than 16%, at least 4% fresh eggs, 15% candied citrus peels and, the absolute protagonist of the unmistakable aroma, the yeast must be natural made from sourdough".
According to data collected by the Italian Food Union, relating to Easter 2023: last year the overall production of the Colomba was 23,443 tonnes equal to 96.1 million euros, with a consumption of approximately 29.1 million pieces.
A recent study conducted by AstraRicerche for Unione Italiana Food on the relationship of Italians with anniversary leavened products and consumption habits during the holidays, confirmed that more than 7 out of 10 Italians consume it, in particular families with children and adolescents (76%), with a slightly higher percentage in the Centre-South.
Tradition is a fundamental element for over half of the buyers: the traditional Colomba recipe is in fact appreciated by 65.3% of the population;
9.7% of those interviewed, however, have a preference for Colombe enriched with creamy zabaglione, hazelnut, pistachio or liqueur fillings, or with delicious toppings such as gianduia or icing.
Finally, when choosing a Colomba, almost half of consumers (49.9%) choose those from the branded industry, with a particular predilection on the part of Generation Z, while one in five (20.7%) prefers artisanal production.
Among the reasons that push consumers to prefer branded anniversary leavened products, the easy availability of products in large-scale retail trade (80.5%) and the trust placed by buyers in brands (33.0%) that know how to combine quality at the right price certainly stands out. (46.5%).
But also the safety of controls on raw materials and finished products, traceability and a label that is always clear and full of information are increasingly important aspects for the consumer.
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