weighs the dear energy and raw materials – Corriere.it

After an April that was colder than expected – -0.57 °C compared to the average for the period – parallel to the increase in temperatures, consumption of ice-cream. Unfortunately for those who couldn’t wait to find relief from the heat by savoring cones and bowls, however, prices are also going up this year: +23% compared to 2022, as reported by an analysis published on Sunday by Coldiretti based on Istat data.

«Reduce dependence on foreign countries»

This is a fact that is not surprising, in light of the jump in the costs of energy and of the main raw materials used in the preparations: from eggs (+17%) to milk (+21%), especially sugar (+54%). A trend that does not seem destined to reverse, considering the persistence of international tensions linked to the war in Ukraine. It will be seen to what extent this scenario will impact the turnover of 39,000 ice cream parlors scattered throughout the country, which employ 75,000 people and boast a total turnover of approximately 2.7 billion euros. «It is necessary work to reduce the heavy dependence on foreign countries of the many raw materials used for the production of ice cream», comments al Courier Lorenzo Bazzanaeconomic manager of Coldiretti, emphasizing both the “importance of supply chain contracts to support food sovereignty in the face of market turbulence” and the “need to favor fresh fruit instead of artificial flavourings”.

For all tastes

Still on the subject of numbers – Coldiretti then announces – every year «in Italian ice cream parlors they are used well 220 million liters of milk, 64 million kilos of sugars, 21 million kilos of fresh fruit and 29 million kilos of other products». The more classic flavors remain the favourites, but at the same time there is a “trend to offer “house specialities” that meet the expectations of the various consumer targets, traditional, xenophile, naturalist, dietetic or vegan”. In particular, «in recent years there has been a real boom of artisanal agri-gelaterias which guarantee the origin of the raw material from the stable to the cup with flavors ranging from donkey milk to goat milk and buffalo milk, but this year sheep’s milk has also arrived».

Also increase the super

Albeit to the detriment of quality, many could cope with the aforementioned price increases by turning their attention towards i industrial products available on supermarket shelves. Even in this case, however, there is a risk of running into prices higher than expected. Always Istat, in fact, just in recent days has quantified al 7.7% the increase in the cost of the shopping cart compared to twelve months ago. The Codacons he therefore asked the government to “intervene urgently to control price lists and save household budgets”, while Absolute users he called for an “anti-inflation decree” that includes the strengthening of the price guarantor and a zeroing of the VAT on basic necessities. Federdistribuzionefinally, he emphasized the need to protect the purchasing power of families to encourage “the recovery of internal demand and guarantee stability for companies and the many Made in Italy agri-food supply chains”.