August 26, 2025 – It is important to take a comprehensive look at various factors that affect food trends in Italy. These can include global factors affecting consumer attitudes and behaviors, drivers of consumer behavior, and consumer trends around how Italian consumers interact with food and beverage products in 39 different categories. Future opportunities also come into play.
Affected by Environment, Politics, and Security
Large scale global and regional forces can impact consumer food and beverage trends in Italy. The first major force is the environment. European consumers report the highest level of concern regarding the health of the planet, including climate change and its effect on personal health, food security, and the national and global economy. European consumers are extremely concerned about political instability and uncertainty. Situations of uncertainty include the war on Ukraine, the US-EU relationship, and national elections in several countries. Other global issues with effects on Italian food and beverage trends are terrorism, immigration, and job insecurity. Approximately one-third of European participants in consumer trends research say that their primary concerns pertain to lack of good healthcare and lack of affordable food that is healthy. Technology advances create threats to job security and privacy but also provide opportunities and empowerment for health, work, and entertainment.
Impact of Health, Clean Label, Taste, and Affordability
Health and wellness impact Italian food trends. Concern among Italian consumers regarding health drives them toward nutritious choices in food and beverage products. They prefer products that are real and natural, have no artificial additives, and are reduced in fat and sugar. Organic claims, functional ingredients, and protein and fiber also resonate.
Food and beverage products that are safe and clean, with transparent labeling, build trust among Italian consumers. Italian consumers also prefer products that are traditionally made and crafted with local ingredients. Other claims that resonate are palm oil-free and organic.
Italian consumers also are influenced by taste, flavor, and novelty. Taste and flavor are a key priority among Italians, particularly in certain food and beverage categories. So is freshness. Italian consumers prefer a combination of innovation and quality.
Food and beverage products positioned for the Italian consumer combine convenience with value and affordability. Another important factor is nutrition in groupings such as staples, hot drinks, and snacks. Convenience – quick preparation, controlled portions, and consumable on the go – resonates, especially in ready meals, sports nutrition, and snacks.
Beverage Trends are Evolving
Alcohol consumption trends – higher in Italy than the global average – are changing in Italy as consumer taste preferences change. Today’s Italian consumer is concerned with health and drinking mindfully to fit changing lifestyles. Brand awareness, taste and flavor, and cost influence alcoholic beverage purchases. Freshness is an additional factor for choices in non-alcoholic beverage. Italian consumers look for health benefits in clean label soft drinks. This is why bottled water is the top soft drink choice. Taste and flavor, freshness, and cost also impact soft drink preferences in Italy. Affordability becomes a factor in hot drink choices. Other important features are freshness, health, cost, and safety, with Italians enjoying hot coffee and tea at meals.
Bread, Cereals, Dairy, Meat, and Fish are Everyday Staples
When it comes to purchasing bread and breakfast cereal products, Italian consumers look at taste and flavor, freshness, and health. They expect bread to be fresh, natural, and traditionally made with real ingredients. Food trends reveal that taste and health influence breakfast cereal choices. Clean label, fresh, and local dairy products attract Italian consumers. Favorites are cheese and yogurt, where they look for products that are safe, free of artificial flavors and colors, and reduced in fat. Features that resonate with Italian consumers in meat and fish include high in and source of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, non-GMO, and organic. Overall, Italians look for freshness and health in everyday staples and are under the global average for taste and flavor, brand, shelf life, and convenience.
Meal Preparation Components Should Be Safe and Clean
Italian consumers want components of meals to be safe, clean, and tasty. Their changing lifestyles, health concerns, and desire for novelty affect their product choices. In sweet and savory spreads, real, natural, and healthy options are essential. They look for a combination of flavor, real and natural, and convenience in ready meals. Palm oil-free is an important consideration that exceeds the global average.
Seeking Better-For-You Snacks and Treats
Italian consumers consider taste and flavor, health claims, and cost when shopping for better-for-you snacks and treats. In cereal bars and energy bars, they look for nutritious, clean label products. Reduced-fat snacks and treats are also appealing. Italy over-indexes compared to the global average for most snacks and treats categories, especially low-fat, reduced-fat, or fat-free options, reflecting current food trends in Italy. The exception is cakes, pastries, sweets, and desserts.
Health and Ethics Drive Functional Nutrition Choices
Italian consumers shopping for sports nutrition and functional nutrition products look for health benefits and ethical claims. Italy is below the global average for both special diets and plant-based. In plant-based, Italian consumers prioritize taste, health, cost, and freshness, reflecting current food trends.
What’s Next for Food Trends in Italy?
Brands have an opportunity to innovate around clean label, low sugar, and functional benefits to appeal to Italian consumers who are cutting sugar and fat and looking for real and natural ingredients. Other claims of interest are high protein, high fiber, and functional claims. Clean labels and transparent sourcing also build trust and meet Italian consumer demands for transparency. Other important features are local, non-GMO, palm oil-free, organic, and traceable. These boost credibility and strengthen connections with Italian shoppers. Featuring familiar flavors in premium and innovative products aligns with current food trends in Italy. Italian consumers are interested in new textures and product formats that continue to meet their needs for freshness, taste, and flavor. They want quality, indulgence, and variety, and these may be met with limited edition releases and artisanal flavors in snacks, dairy, and beverages. Combine affordability with nutrition and convenience. Italian consumers seek value food and beverage products that fit into their on-the-go lifestyle. Convenient timesavers could include microwaveable meals, espresso capsule, single-serve snacks, drinkable yogurts, and value packaging.
This article is based on Innova’s Category Growth Drivers in Italy report. This report is available to purchase or with an Innova Reports subscription. Reach out to find out more