Confectionery & bakery products

In 2015 Italian confectionery industry exports totalled a turnover of 3,555.7 million euros, accounting for 12% of entire Italian food sector exports.

The confectionery and bakery products sectors make up an important part of the Italian food industry.
According to the latest available data, European confectionery production in 2014 stood at 6,329,225 tons. Within the EU, in terms of volume of products, the Italian confectionery industry ranks first, with a 16.2% share, followed by Germany (13.3%) and France (11.5%).
According to the Italian trade association AIDI, in 2015 the sector registered a production increase limited to 0.2% in quantitative terms, placing more than 2 million tons of products on the market.
As for foreign trade, a 1.1% decline in imports and a 4.7% increase in exports was registered.
After the positive trend of 2014, domestic consumption, also in quantitative term, showed a drop of 3%.
The total turnover of the Italian confectionery industry in 2015 reached 13.88 billion euros, an increase of 2.6% compared to 2014 (in 2015 the food industry totalled a turnover of 132 billion euros, substantially on a par with the previous year).
According to calculations of the Istituto Italiano Imballaggio, in 2016 the confectionery and bakery industry should evolve as follows:
- production +1.8%;
- exports +2.7%;
- imports +9.7%;
- domestic consumption +4.1%.

The main areas in detail
The confectionery sector is divided into four main areas: candies, chocolate and cocoa-based products, baked goods and icecream.

Confectionery. In 2015 products witnessed a slight decline both in quantitative terms (-0.7%) and in value (-0.6%).

Chocolate. Basically unchanged from the quantitative point of view, the area of chocolate and cocoa-based products is seen to be growing at a rate of 1.7% in terms of value.

Bakery products The sector includes various types: products for special occasions, biscuits, bread substitutes and other products.
Globally in 2015 production marked a decrease of 1.1% and a 0.6% decline in value. Exports are shown to have increased by 5.4%, imports are seen to be up 4.4%, domestic demand though is seen to be down 2.5%.
From 2008 to 2015 bakery products showed an annual average growth in production of 0.6%.
With reference to the same period of time, domestic demand in fact marks a substantial stability; in 2015 imported products accounted for 32% of Italian domestic consumption.
For 2016 a moderate growth in production is envisaged, following a moderate increase in domestic demand; exports, which in the first seven months of the year marked a growth of 3.7%, should show further growth.
The packaged icecream industry in 2015 registered an increase of 7.6% in production in quantity and 13% in terms of turnover. The cake and slices segment is seen to be leading the growth, but multipacks are also showing a positive trend.

Packaging
We here examine the overall packaging of confectionary products, excluding products intended for industrial bakery use. A wide assortment of packaging types are used, particularly in terms of primary packaging, this corresponding to the wide variety of confectionery and bakery products.
Sales units or secondary packaging are also seen to be very varied.
In both cases use is made of cartons, cardboard clusters, tins, paper and plastic bags, trays, converter flexibles, polylaminate flexible bags, protective packaging, glass or plastic jars, aluminium foil wrappings, etc...
Over the years all types of packaging have undergone downgauging and weight reduction. Processing the figures surveyed in 2015 it is estimated that 343,164 tons of packaging was used to pack confectionery and bakery products. Between 2008 to 2015 use of packaging grew by 7.2%.                                                

Plinio Iascone
Istituto Italiano Imballaggio