The Osservatorio Immagino report by GS1 Italy has revealed an increasing focus on the health aspects and nutritional benefits of food products
Italians are paying more and more attention to food product labels claiming health benefits. This interesting fact emerged as one of the most significant factors of 2023, according to the Osservatorio Immagino report by GS1 Italy. This report analysed changes in shopping baskets based on 139,302 products, covering 83.1% of sales volume at supermarkets and hypermarkets. Offering health products is becoming increasingly important and is substantially influencing people’s spending. This category is divided into three main groups: “free from” (products with less or without certain nutritional substances), “rich in” (products rich in specific nutrients) and foods for people with allergies/intolerances.
The “free from” group is the largest, with 14,100 products that generated over €8.1 billion and recorded +9.7% growth compared with 2022. Among products that claimed to have less or no nutrients, the best performing ones were about fat and sugar. In the “rich in” sector, 12 claims were made on 10,825 products, with sales of over €5 billion and growth of +10% compared with last year. Protein was the most common claim, involving 3,365 products, with the greatest sales volume (€1.88 billion) and the highest annual growth (+12.8%). Products for people with allergies or intolerances were still important to a certain extent, but were hit by inflation. The “gluten-free” claim is still the most common one, with 8,581 products and €3.2 billion in sales (+5.2%), albeit with volume falling by -4.4 (Source: Fruitbookmagazine.it). As they are naturally gluten-free, potatoes are a great alternative.
When it comes to potatoes, Romagnoli F.lli Spa’s èVita Residue-Free potatoes stand out with their long research and innovation process into different varieties. By using varieties that are naturally tolerant to the main plant diseases and by adopting coded farming practices, these potatoes minimise any chemical treatments, using very low-residue chemical molecules. Romagnoli F.lli Spa therefore guarantees a product that can balance protecting crops, the environment and people’s well-being.
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