Abstract

Italian cuisine continues to change with less red meat, fat and carbohydrates. Fruit and vegetables are the centrepieces of our diet while we are progressively giving up pasta and bread. Summer heat drove the turnover of mass retailers up, especially with the contributions made by beverages and fresh and frozen foods, while the Italian shopping basket is again starting to fill with greater quantities. The new emerging factor is the improvement in the quality of household spending. From this viewpoint 2017 marked a true and genuine turning point. Sales of special offer products fell and the mix of purchases shifted towards higher value added products. The Italian shopping basket, in line with recent trends, is filling with health and well-being, while the ethnic food boom is continuing. At the same time the rediscovery of ready meals is consolidating thanks to an improvement in the labour market which is shortening time available for food preparation and this is accompanied by «food delivery» services. A huge change in food as a value and an expression of identity is in progress. Doctors and naturopaths are driving consumer choices more than marketing. Food, driven by super foods and by sirt diet ingredients, is becoming synonymous with prevention and therapy. On the other hand, food is tending to follow fashion more and more and it is transforming into the new frontier of fashion, a way of expressing one's identity and giving a narrative of oneself. As opposed to the past, food is now becoming an experience, a new leisure time.