The food salt market - Italy (2024)

1.2 Global salt market overview

Global market

Salt is one of the few products of which the world is least likely to be without in the coming millennia: rock salt reserves are considerable and sea salt is virtually inexhaustible. Despite the willingness of institutions to reduce salt consumption, this global market is growing steadily, driven by global population growth and China's rapid expansion, despite a decline in **** due to declining production in the food and chemical sectors.

The size of the global salt market is expected to grow from $**.** billion in **** to $**.** billion by ****.

Food salt market size World, **** - ****, in billions of dollars Research by Grand View

European production:

Looking at data on food salt production in Europe from **** to ****, we can see some significant fluctuations in the volume produced annually.

In ****, production was *,*** thousand tons, followed by a slight decrease in **** to *,*** thousand tons, representing a *.* percent decrease. However, **** saw a significant increase to *,*** thousand tons, followed by a decrease in **** to *,*** thousand tons. The year **** saw a significant jump with production of *,*** thousand tons.

Compared to the starting point in ****, **** production shows an overall increase of **.* percent.

Food salt production in quantity Europe, ****-****, million tons Eurostat

The main European producers are the ...

1.3 The Italian market

To outline the value of the Italian salt market, we start by analyzing the turnover trends of seasoning and spice enterprises to give an overview of the sector as a whole, and then go into more detail by presenting the turnover of salt-extracting enterprises and the sold production of food salt in Italy.

The turnover of Italian seasoning and spice companies showed steady growth from **** to ****, increasing from the value of *** million euros to ****.* million euros. This represents an overall increase of **.* percent in five years, indicating an expanding sector with growing demand.

Turnover of companies producing seasonings and spices Italy, ****-****, € million Istat

The turnover of salt mining companies in Italy shows a fluctuating trend over the ****-**** period. Starting from a value of €***,*** in ****, there is an initial decline, reaching its lowest point in **** with €***,***, and then gradually rising again. Despite the absence of data for the years **** and ****, the recovery is evident in subsequent years, culminating in ***,*** euros in ****. This represents a **.* percent increase from ****.

Turnover and operating margin of salt mining companies Italy, ****-****, in euros Source: ****

Analyzing the data of sold production of food salt in Italy in terms of value shows a fluctuating but growing ...

1.4 Trade flows

For the period from **** to ****, the analysis of percentage changes in food salt trade flows in Italy shows that imports increased overall by **.* percent, from **.* million in **** to **.* million in ****. Exports, for their part, increased by **.* percent, starting from **.* million in **** to **.* million in ****.

The coverage ratio, which measures the ratio of exports to imports, grew significantly by **.* percent in ****, reaching a value of *.**, indicative of a situation where exports exceed imports. However, this ratio decreased slightly in subsequent years, stabilizing at *.** in ****, close to the initial **** levels of *.**.

Import-export of food salt Italy, ****-****, € million Eurostat

In ****, Italy imported salt mainly from Austria, which accounted for ** percent of its total imports. It is followed by Germany and Tunisia, with ** percent and ** percent respectively, showing significant dependence on these suppliers. The Netherlands contributes * percent, while France and Türkiye each contribute * percent, followed by Belgium and Spain with * percent. Egypt and Pakistan provide small shares, *% and *% respectively.

Main countries of origin of salt imports Italy, ****, % Uncomtrade Salt exports from Italy show a varied distribution among different countries, with a significant concentration toward the United States, which accounts for ** percent of total exports. This figure places the U.S. as the main ...

2.1 Demand trends

Analysis of monthly household expenditure on salt, spices and herbs in Italy shows some stability over the last * years for which data are available. Monthly spending was essentially unchanged between **** and ****, followed by a slight recovery in ****. **** saw a more pronounced decrease, with spending of €*.**, *.* percent lower than in ****. However, in ****, spending returned to levels close to the initial **** values.

Monthly household expenditure on salt, spices and herbs Italy, ****-****, €/month Istat

To better analyze the demand trend, we present the sold production of food salt over the past ** years. This showed a significant peak in ****, with ***.** thousand tons, the highest of the decade. This peak represents a **% increase from ****. However, production in **** decreased, standing at ***.** thousand tons, which is a *.* percent decrease from ****. The annual fluctuation shows some instability in the industry, with considerable variations from year to year.

Sold production of food salt Italy, ****-****, thousands of tons Istat

2.2 Beware of salt consumption

Salt consumption is strongly correlated with age

According to WHO, high sodium intake (***) contribute to high blood pressure and increased risk of heart disease and stroke. In addition, reducing salt intake has been identified as one of the most cost-effective measures countries can take to improve health outcomes in their populations.

In ** years, Italians' salt consumption has decreased by **%. In ****, the proportion of Italians over the age of ** who say they are careful about salt consumption is **%.

Occupation has little bearing on attention to salt consumption. In fact, **.* percent of job seekers say they pay attention to salt consumption, as do the self-employed (***).

Attention to salt consumption in relation to occupation Italy, ****, in % Source: ****

However, Italians tend to be much more careful about salt intake according to their age and consistently. While at age **, only slightly more than half of Italians report paying attention to salt intake, this figure rises to more than ** percent at age **.

Attention to salt consumption in relation to age Italy, ****, in % Source: ****

2.3 Geographic Distribution of Demand

To study the geographical distribution of demand, a map is presented with the regional distribution of attention to salt consumption in Italy, in percentages. A high value thus indicates lower salt consumption for the same population.

3.1 Market shares of major players

An oligopolistic market

In ****, there were ** companies in Italy specializing in salt mining, with a turnover of *** million euros.

Turnover of the ** largest Italian companies ATECO **.** Italy, ****, thousands of euros Source: ****

ATECO code **.** represents companies specializing in salt extraction. In ****, Italkali dominated the Italian market with an estimated turnover of **.** million euros. Atisale SPA was in second place with an estimated turnover of **.** million euros and Locatelli Saline Di Volterra Srl was in third place with a turnover of **.** million euros.

Distribution of turnover among the ** largest Italian companies ATECO **.** Italy, ****, in % Source: ****

The Italian market for food salts is therefore oligopolistic. Italkali has more than a third of the market and the top three companies dominate nearly ** percent of the market.

3.2 Industry dynamics

A consolidation of the industry

Since ****, the salt market has been consolidating. The disappearance of smaller companies is leaving more and more room for larger groups. This trend can be verified by comparing the number of companies with the industry's turnover. While the number of companies has been steadily decreasing, turnover stabilized in ****-**** and increased again in ****. The acquisition of Luigi Conti Vecchi-currently the second largest salt producer in Italy-by Eni in **** may be the reason for this rebound

Number of salt extractors Italy, ****-**** Source Istat The steady disappearance of companies until **** went hand in hand with Italians' desire to reduce their salt consumption. However, this trend reversed in ****.

The number of employees seems to have stabilized since ****, showing an increasing trend since that year, this reinforces the hypothesis of a consolidating market, with fewer firms, but a larger average size.

Number of employees per year in salt mining companies Italy, ****-****, number of employees Source: ****

3.3 The main salt-producing regions

Southern Italy's dominance in salt production

Imethods of food salt production differ between rock salt and sea salt:

Ground salt can be: Extracted from rock salt mines for rock salt. Dissolved by injection of fresh water (***) then dehydrated, dried and compacted for igneous salt. Probed at the level of salt formation, and extracted by injection of water, for dissolution salt. Sea salt , on the other hand, is obtained by evaporation of water under the effect of sun and wind, in salt pans

These production methods are the origin of coarse salt.

Sea salt is harvested on coasts with flat, impermeable soils and a climate that allows maximum evaporation during the warm months. Fior di sale, on the other hand, is not produced by evaporation or extraction, but is collected from brine on the surface of marshes.

ATECO **** Producer Price Index Italy, ****-****, Index *** (***) Source: ****

According to Istat, the objective of the producer price index is to measure annual price changes in the first stage of marketing of goods produced by industrial enterprises residing in Italy. As for price changes in seasonings and spices, they remain very linear.

The main salt production sites in Italy

In Italy, the main salt pans are ...

4.1 Prices

The trend in the consumer price index for salt, herbs and spices in Italy from **** to **** shows a gradual and relatively small increase until ****, with minimal year-on-year changes. From **** to ****, a slight decrease is observed, followed by a significant increase in subsequent years. The most pronounced jump occurs between **** and ****, when the index rises from ***.* to ***.*, indicating an increase of *.* percent in a single year. From **** to ****, the index overall increased by **.* percent.

Consumer price trends for salt, herbs and spices Italy, ****-****, base index ****=*** Istat

Going to analyze the last two years specifically, we can see a gradual growth in the summer months of ****, followed by an acceleration in the fall and early winter, with the index exceeding *** in December ****. In ****, the data show a relative stabilization of the index, with slight upward and downward movements, but no major deviations from the value of ***, indicating some balance in prices. This corresponds to an increase of about *.* percent over this time frame.

Consumer price trends for salt, herbs and spices (***) Italy, ****-****, base index ****=*** Istat

4.2 Product types and industry trends

The main types of salt that can be found on the Italian market are:

Traditional Sea Salt: Sea salt is one of the most common and popular types of salt in Italy. Extracted through the evaporation of seawater, it is valued for its natural flavor and for the fact that it contains traces of other minerals besides sodium chloride. It is used both in cooking and as a condiment at the table. Iodized Salt: In Italy, iodized salt is promoted for the prevention of iodine deficiency, a public health problem in some areas of the country until the ****s. This type of salt is fortified with iodine in the form of iodide or potassium iodate to ensure adequate intake of this essential micronutrient. Whole Salt: Also often referred to as raw salt or unrefined salt, whole salt is minimally processed and contains more minerals than traditional sea salt. it is less fine and can have a wetter texture. it is considered by many to be a healthier option than refined salt. Himalayan Pink Salt: Although not native to Italy, Himalayan pink salt is very popular with Italian consumers. Noted for its distinctive color and mineral content, it is often marketed as ...

5.1 Nutrition declaration has been mandatory since 2016

The nutrition declaration has now been mandatory on packaged foods since December **** . This law aims to make it easier for consumers to read the nutritional values of products. This regulation applies to :

unprocessed foods that contain a single ingredient or category of ingredients; herbal or fruit infusions, tea ; food products packaged in packages or containers with a maximum surface area of less than ** cm * .

This information should be presented in tabular form (***).

5.2 Government efforts to reduce salt consumption

As seen in section *.*, the government is making significant efforts to reduce Italians' salt consumption. With Law No. ** of March **, ****, the Italian government wants to combat diseases due to iodine deficiency. Since ****, Italy has witnessed the democratization of iodine in salt. Salt is now available in bars and restaurants, as well as in canteens and public institutions.

The Ministry of Health, together with nongovernmental organizations such as the Italian Society of Clinical Nutrition (***), created the Guadagnare Salute Program . With the aim of informing citizens and facilitating health choices, the program reached an agreement with the food industry and the main national associations of artisan bakers to revisit some of the products available on the market.

The decree of Oct. **, ****, obliges all points of sale to display a preventive poster on iodine in a conspicuous place, next to the displays where salt is found, to make Italians aware of the dangers of iodine deficiency. [***]

At the **** Milan Expo on the goals of improving the nutritional characteristics of food products with a focus on children aged * to **, clear commitments to limit sugar, saturated fat and salt were defined. [***]

On July **, ****, the Ministry of Health, the National Association of Consumer Cooperatives (***) signed a protocol ...

5.3 WHO recommendations on the consumption of food salts

The World Health Organization supports the reduction of salt consumption. In this regard, WHO develops public health recommendations for countries and emphasizes the role of public policies and strategies to create environments that enable people to consume sufficient amounts of safe and nutritious, healthy, low-salt food. Improving eating habits is the responsibility of both society and the individual. It requires a population-wide, multisectoral and culturally relevant approach.

For adults: the WHO recommends consuming less than * grams (***) . For children: the WHO recommends that the maximum recommended salt intake for adults be adjusted downward for children aged * to ** years, based on energy requirements relative to those of adults. This recommendation does not cover the period of exclusive breastfeeding (***). All salt consumed should be iodized, that is, "fortified" with iodine, an essential compound for healthy brain development in the fetus and child and for optimizing mental function in general.

6.1 Segmentation of actors

• Ing. Luigi Conti Vecchi
• Atisale
• Sosalt
• LOCATELLI SALINE DI VOLTERRA
• Parco della Salina di Cervia
• Tesauro Sale
• Italkali s.p.a