Abstract

As we approach the end of the Nineties, the Italian food industry is experiencing a series of evolutionary phenomena which in part confirm the previous tendencies and in part constitute important signs of how it is likely to develop in the future. In this context a decisive role is played by the behaviour of the consumer who ever more frequently reveals an "Italian model for foodstuffs" with original characteristics. Innovation, which in the food industry carries great weight, though still traditionally less than in other sectors of the manufacturing industry as a whole, can play an increasing role in determining company behaviour in the various sectors of the food industry. A particular problem, in consideration of the Italian model, lies in the relationship between traditional foods and the concrete possibilities of innovation, both in processing and the product itself. The aspect of safety in foodstuffs in response to the consumer's growing concern in that direction constitutes an important field for the introduction of innovations. Finally there is the complex aspect of introducing new processes and new products thanks to the biotechnologies that allow the introduction of new products with very interesting requisites especially in prospect of functional foods. The frontier for the food industry at the start of the new century lies, therefore, in the possibility of reconciling the various demands stated and of developing the technology suitable for each individual case.