Frozen food turns 60 years old. We consume 16 kg per person per year

Italian frozen food turns 60 years old. It arrived in Italy on 6 March 1963, with the establishment of the Italian Institute of Frozen Foods: its stated aim was to promote products kept below zero.

Initially, however, Italians viewed it with some suspicion. “Until then,” said Iias president Giorgio Donegani at the event dedicated to the 60th anniversary of Iias, “food was preserved in oil or salt, and no one imagined the food revolution that would forever change the way we eat and preserve food, allowing us to enjoy out-of-season vegetables and fruit, as well as fish species from seas far away, with preparation taking just a few minutes.”

But how can we explain the asterisk next to frozen foods on restaurant menus today? “It is a ruling by the Court of Cassation dating from the 70 s,” Donegani said, “and a restaurateur who fails to indicate it commits the offence of commercial fraud. But this has nothing to do with the product’s hygiene and health safety. We hope that, over time and through education, this obstacle too can be overcome.”

A year of two speeds

Over the years, frozen foods have become part of our eating habits: in 2021, 940 thousand tonnes were produced, equal to consumption of 16 kg per person per year, compared with 3 kg in 1980. The market value in 2021 was estimated at 4,8 billion euros.

2022 was hit by the sharp surge in energy prices (and the frozen-food industry is extremely energy-intensive) and by soaring inflation (the 12% in the shopping basket in December 2022), which is affecting household spending. What happened to products kept below zero? Iias limits itself to providing only general trends. “In modern retail, the first half recorded moderately positive sales,” replied Andrea Passamonti, Iias communications officer and marketing manager at Findus, “while the second was slightly negative. The Horeca channel, on the other hand, recorded a sharp acceleration after the pandemic period.”

2023 stable

2023, however, got off to a negative start because of the corresponding figure for the same period in 2022, “but for the full year we expect sales to remain substantially stable,” Passamonti stressed.

65% of frozen-food sales by volume (equal to 3,1 billion euros) is generated in modern retail, 25% (1,1 billion euros) between Horeca and food service, and 10% (470 million) through e-commerce and door-to-door sales. In the ranking of products that end up in the shopping trolley in modern retail, frozen vegetables account for 42% of sales, fish products for 19%, pizzas for 15%, and chips for 14%. Ready-made dishes account for just 6% of volumes but have the highest growth rate.

This article was translated from the original Italian version with the assistance of artificial intelligence. In case of discrepancies, please refer to the original Italian version.