November 5, 2025 – Sauces and seasonings are an integral part of the Italian food and beverage market. From highlighting local regional recipes to emphasizing recognizable ingredients, different elements of tradition influence products and innovation in this category. Sustainability concerns and convenience are also increasingly important to consumers. Innova’s “Sauces & Seasonings in Italy” report uncovers these major trends influencing the sauce and seasonings category in the Italian market, as well as macro drivers and lifestyle factors shaping new product development.
Macro Drivers in Italy
For Italian consumers, sociopolitical issues, such as political instability, the erosion of social values, and immigration, are major areas of worry. These concerns are influencing them to be more insular and nostalgic, boosting the significance of local or traditional products. Personal health also remains an important concern, with Italian consumers viewing cooking at home as a healthy option. Inflationary pressures and cost of living also encourage at-home cooking, as it is a method for reducing costs. Finally, concern for the environment is also an important consideration for Italian consumers, so positive messages related to sustainability, sourcing, or waste reduction resonate with them.
Lifestyle Factors Shaping Development in Sauces & Seasonings
Key lifestyle factors also play an integral role in innovations and consumer preferences for sauces and seasonings in Italy. Italian consumers place strong emphasis on quality, due to the existence of longstanding, strong food traditions. Therefore, recognizable ingredients, especially local Italian ones, play an important role. Authenticity and transparency are also key drivers, in line with consumers’ preferences for quality products. Eating shared meals together is another important element of tradition and culture, emphasizing the importance of sauces and seasonings to help diversify meals and support the preparation of traditional dishes. Young consumers are also embracing greater convenience and favoring flavors that deliver experiential food and drinks.
Market Performance and Influences
Italy represents 15% of sales in West Europe for sauces and seasonings, comprising 2% of the global market value. Cooking sauces and stocks lead the way, but in the Italian market, growth is strongest in side-of-plate sauces, such as mayonnaise, table sauces, and dressings. In these subcategories, taste experience and excitement drive consumer purchases, while convenience is the leading reasoning for ready-made cooking sauces and dry mixes.
Italian consumption of sauces and seasonings ranks above the European average, and there is little change in consumption habits. Consumers also want safe, sustainable, healthy, and natural products, with product safety being the top claim that influences purchasing decisions. Palm-oil-free positionings for sauces and plant-based claims in stocks and seasonings are also important in the Italian market. Main meal occasions, such as dinner and lunch, dominate for sauces and seasonings, and milder flavor profiles are still more popular for Italian consumers than bolder tastes.
What’s Shaping the Category?
Pasta sauce is the main focus for innovation, and interest in seasonings has increased in the last twelve months. The focus on specific dietary needs and natural ethical formulations is also on the rise. Clean and natural positionings, such as organic, over index the global market penetration. Addressing specific dietary needs is also increasingly important, and consumers seek clear on-pack messaging. In Italy, gluten-free has a strong focus with a 32% penetration over the global average of 12%. Additionally, ethical considerations related to the environment are also gaining ground.
Exploring Sustainability Strategies
Various sustainability strategies are also being explored in the category. Packaging shifts target sustainability through the integration of materials like carton packaging that have a lower carbon footprint than cans or jars. The Unilever Food brand, including the seasoning brands of Hellman’s and Knorr, focuses on regenerative agriculture to maintain stable reserves of key crops. By 2030, Unilever’s goal is to implement regenerative agricultural practices across one million hectares of land, and regenerative projects already include some tomato and rice operations in Italy. Solar energy is another sustainable practice being explored for production facilities to provide greener energy.
When it comes to specific sustainability trends in the Italian food and beverage market, the absence of palm-oil and the use of only plant-based ingredients can be used by brands to tailor messaging to environmentally conscious consumers. Palm oil free claims have doubled in launches since 2020, and plant-based is also rising in importance, with demands evolving to include meat-free options.
Target a Variety of Occasions & Needs
According to Innova’s consumer trends research, brands can target a growing number of occasions and needs for sauce and seasoning use. Premium stocks can deliver a variety of flavors to be incorporated into different meals. For example, Unilever’s Knorr brand in Italy launched a range of premium stock bases to be target consumers to include in a wide variety of premium or adventurous dishes. The olive oil brand, Salov also recently launched its Filippo Berio range with virgin olive oil variants designed for delicate recipes.
While sauces and cooking aids dominate, there is also growth in side-of-plate sauces and dressings that offer alternative usage occasions. Additionally, convenience is also a major factor for consumers and an opportunity for innovation. Travel sachets for sauces, squeezy oil bottles, and adjustable spice grinders are just a few examples that Italian brands are utilizing in new product development to improve the user experience for consumers.
Traditional Sourcing Adds Value
Local and regional flavors, recipes, and ingredients are valued by Italian consumers, particularly for pasta sauces. This reflects Innova’s Top 10 Trends for 2025, as trend #8 Tradition Reinvented reflects the theme of embracing authenticity and tradition. Le Bonta’s Toscanacci brand of cooking sauces highlights regional recipes and ingredients from Tuscany. For example, their Chiantigiano Ragu sauce contains beef from the Italian Chianina cattle and DOP (Protected Designation of Origin) Chianti wine. DOP ingredients showcase ingredients that are local to specific regions in Italy and help promote quality over generic inclusions. Other brands are also emphasizing local ingredients like basil, olive oils, and pesto that evoke the authenticity that consumers resonate with.
Pesto Tastes are Evolving
Pesto is a product that remains on trend, so suppliers can seek a competitive edge through the incorporation of added flavor twists to their product offerings. For example, Barilla has been strongly promoting its pesto portfolio over recent years, introducing new flavors such as Basil & Lemon Pesto. The brand’s latest pesto concept, Basil & Mozzarella, contains Mozzarella di Bufala Campana, a DOP certified cheese. Pesto with olives and almonds and ricotta and walnuts are two other examples of inventive pesto variations that are being offered and underscore how pesto tastes are evolving.
Innovators Add Spice to Familiar Products
In the Italian food and beverage market, spicy flavors are garnering more attention. In a market that is traditionally dominated by herb and tomato flavors, it is notable that spicier flavors are gaining ground. Unilever’s Calvé brand, for example, has released its Speziato product to its Supreme premium ketchup line, containing a variety of spices including cayenne pepper, ginger, white pepper, and fenugreek. Carrefour has also extended its spice and seasoning range to include a new garlic blend with chili pepper, allowing the creation of traditional garlic-flavored dishes with a spicy twist.
What’s Next for Sauces and Seasoning in Italy?
Tradition and familiarity will continue to be important in Italian cuisine, so opportunities to incorporate international sauces or seasonings into product ranges can be limited. Nevertheless, suppliers could explore a middle ground in which they introduce foreign flavors into traditional or local sauces, such as pasta sauce with Mexican spices. Younger consumers are also fueling demand for convenient sauces and seasonings, indicating that simple solutions, on-the-move, or snackable formats could drive innovation. The air-fryer trend also reflects the desires for convenience, and future opportunities may rest in the development of sprays, seasonings, or sauce mixes intended for air-fried foods.
This article is based on Innova’s Sauces & Seasonings in Italy report. This report is available to purchase or with an Innova Reports subscription. Reach out to find out more.