The smoked salmon market - Italy (2024)

1.2 Global Market

the global smoked salmon market is growing significantly and is expected to continue this expansion in the coming years. In ****, the value of the smoked salmon market was estimated to be about $*.** billion and is expected to reach about $*.** billion by ****, with a compound annual growth rate (***) of *.** percent over the period from **** to **** Analytica Global.

The main factors driving this growth include increasing consumer demand for healthy, protein-rich foods, such as salmon, known for its omega-* content. In addition, the rise of e-commerce has facilitated access to smoked salmon products in several regions, driving growth in the Analytica Global market. If you are interested in more specific data or insights, reports are available that offer detailed analyses of regional markets, production trends, and the impact of factors such as sustainability and demand for clean label products Cognitive Market Research.

Global smoked salmon market value World, ****-****, Billions ANALYTICA GLOBAL

the leading global smoked salmon producing countries include Norway, Chile, and Scotland. Norway is the global leader in salmon production. In ****, it produced about *.* million tons of salmon, consolidating its dominant position through sustainability practices and the quality of its Atlantic salmon. Chile, the world's second largest producer, exceeded ***,*** tons in ...

1.3 The European Marketplace

The European smoked salmon market has shown steady growth in recent years, reflecting increased demand for high-quality seafood products. This sector is influenced by food trends geared toward healthy foods, sustainability, and high fish consumption in many European countries. Between **** and ****, the production value of smoked salmon in Europe showed a positive trend, reaching a significant peak in ****. In detail, in **** the production value amounted to *.** billion euros, rising slightly in **** to *.** billion (***). **** saw a strong acceleration, with a **.**% jump over the previous year, bringing the value of production to *.** billion, the highest recorded in the period.

Value of Production of Smoked Salmon Europe, ****-****, in billion € Source: ****

The largest smoked salmon producing countries in Europe in ****, expressed in tons, are shown. Norway is clearly the industry leader, with production of *** tons, almost double that of the second largest producer. Scotland follows with ** tons, still showing a significant difference from Norway. Poland, in third place, produces ** tons, slightly less than Scotland. Finally, Lithuania closes the list with a more modest production of ** tons, significantly distancing itself from the other three countries.

The largest smoked salmon producing countries Europe, ****, in millions of € Source: ****

germany emerges as the largest importer, with a value ...

1.4 Italian market

The Italian smoked salmon market has shown some volatility in recent years, influenced by factors such as food trends, seasonality and global price trends. Smoked salmon is a popular product in Italy, especially because of its consumption during the holidays, but also because of increased demand for healthy, omega-*-rich foods. The market benefits from imports from major European producers, such as Norway and Poland, while domestic production remains smaller than in other countries.

In ****, the value was **,***,*** euros, but it declined significantly in **** to **,***,*** euros, a decrease of **.** percent. However, in ****, the market began to grow again, reaching **,*** thousand euros, an increase of **% from the previous year. Growth continued markedly in ****, peaking at **,*** thousand euros, a **.**% increase over ****. Finally, in ****, the market value decreased slightly to **,*** thousand euros, marking a contraction of *.**% compared to ****, but still maintaining a high value.

Italian smoked salmon market value Italy,****-****,Thousands of euros Istat

To estimate the total market size, we can use the formula: market value = value of production sold + imports - exports. According to these calculations, in ****, the market was ***,*** thousand euros, and then declined in ****, reaching ***,*** thousand euros. After a recovery in ****, with ***,*** thousand euros, the market continued to grow, ...

1.5 import and export

Imports and Exports of Smoked Salmon in Italy

Salmon imports grew steadily over the period, from $***.** million in **** to $***.* million in ****, an increase of **.** percent. After a slight decline in **** and ****, to ***.** and ***.** million respectively, imports increased significantly from ****, reaching ***.** million in **** and continuing the growth through ****.   Exports, on the other hand, remain at very low levels. In ****, Italy exported $*.** million worth of salmon, decreasing to $*.** million in **** and $*.** million in ****. From ****, there is slight growth, with exports of * million in ****, *.* million in **** and *.** million in ****. Despite this growth, exports remain marginal compared to imports.   The coverage ratio, which represents the ratio of exports to imports, remains extremely low throughout the period. It was ***.***% in **** and ****, dropped to ***.***%** in ****, and then picked up again to *.***% in ****. This value indicates that although Italy has increased exports, it still imports much more salmon than it exports. Salmon imports and exports Italy, ****-****, millions of USD Source: UN Comtrade Exports: France ranks first, absorbing **.** percent of Italian exports, followed by Malta with **.** percent, demonstrating an almost equal distribution between the two main markets.   The Netherlands is the third largest market with **.** percent, while Switzerland is responsible for *.** percent. Other European countries have smaller shares: ...

2.1 The demand for smoked salmon in Italy.

Production sold:

In ****, production was *,*** tons, but in **** it decreased slightly to *,*** tons, a decrease of **.**%. In ****, there is a slight recovery, with a total of *,*** tons, marking a **.**% increase from the previous year.

In ****, production continues to grow, reaching *,*** tons, an increase of **.**%. **** marks a significant jump in production to *,*** tons, up **%** from ****, highlighting a substantial expansion of smoked salmon production in Italy in that year.

Italian smoked salmon production realized in quantity - t Italia,****-****,Tonnellate istat

in ****, sales amounted to *,*** tons, but in ****, there was a decrease to *,*** tons, down **.* percent from the previous year.

In ****, there was a slight recovery, with sales reaching *,*** tons, marking a *.* percent increase over ****. In ****, the growth continued with a total of *,*** tons, representing an increase of **.* percent. Finally, in ****, sales rose further to *,*** tons, a significant ** percent growth over the previous year, highlighting a remarkable expansion of smoked salmon sales in Italy in recent years.

Italian smoked salmon production sold in quantity - t Italia,****-****,Tonnellate Istat Average monthly household expenditure: In ****, the average monthly expenditure was *.** euros, increasing slightly in **** to *.** euros, an increase of *.**%. While In ****, probably due to the effects of the pandemic, spending decreased to ...

2.2 Consumption during the holidays

as we will see below, interest in smoked salmon sees a big surge during the holiday season, so let's analyze the habits of Italians in this context.

In ****, despite the pandemic and the related crisis, * out of ** Italians have not given up the tradition of putting fish on the table during the Christmas holidays. In light of this, ** percent of Italians confirmed that they followed this tradition in ****.

Italians who ate fish during the Christmas vacations Italy, ****, in % Source: ****

more specifically, Italians preferred to put mostly fish on their tables, but, scaled up, meat-based or vegetable-only menus were also served.

Menu chosen by Italians during the Christmas season Italy, ****, in % Source: ****

For Italians, the preference for salmon during the holidays is high, but there are also other fish that are consumed in Italy. The chart below depicts menu preferences during the Christmas holidays in ****.

Preferences on which fish to consume Italy, ****, in % Source: ****

Italians pay a lot of attention to the fish they buy, preferring to buy fish caught in local waters, thus in the Mediterranean Sea. They also pay attention to the label that indicates the production method "caught," "freshwater caught," "farmed," etc., the type of gear being caught and ...

2.3 Geographical distribution of demand

central Italy stands out for having the highest average monthly expenditure of *.** euros, as evidenced by the darker shades on the map, covering mainly regions such as Lazio, Tuscany and Umbria. Southern Italy follows with an average expenditure of *.** euros, with intermediate coloring, including regions such as Puglia, Campania, Calabria and Sicily. Finally, Northern Italy, with the lowest average monthly expenditure of *.** euros, is represented by the lighter shades, covering regions such as Lombardy, Piedmont and Veneto. The map shows a clear gradient in spending, with the Center being at the top, followed by the South and finally the North.

2.4 Online interest in "smoked salmon"

The geographic distribution of online searches for smoked salmon in Italy in **** is shown, with values calculated on a scale of * to ***. A higher value indicates a higher proportion of searches relative to the total number of queries made in the region, while a lower value indicates a lower frequency. It does not reflect the absolute number of searches, but rather the proportion of smoked salmon-related queries compared to all searches made in a given region. As a result, a small region with a high concentration of interest in this topic might have a higher value than a larger region with relatively lower interest. Analyzing the data, we see that Basilicata leads with a value of ***, followed by Liguria with ** and Marche with **, signaling a high concentration of searches for smoked salmon in these areas. Puglia has a value of **, while Valle d'Aosta and Sicily both record **. Abruzzo and Lombardy stand at **, with Lazio slightly lower at **. Regions such as Sardinia, Calabria, Tuscany and Friuli-Venezia Giulia have values of **, while Veneto and Campania show less interest, with ** and **, respectively. Trentino-Alto Adige closes the ranking with **, showing a lower concentration of searches related to smoked salmon.

Italian demand for smoked salmon is ...

3.1 Main players in the Italian market

The smoked salmon sector in Italy has seen steady growth in recent years, thanks to increased consumer demand for high-quality seafood products. This market is characterized by a focus on traditional processing, with processes such as dry salting and natural smoking guaranteeing a product with an authentic taste that complies with hygiene and environmental regulations. Processing in Italy represents added value, as it combines the quality of local production with the use of selected raw materials, often from sustainable farms or responsibly fished.

Agroittica Lombarda (***). With an annual processing of more than **,*** tons of fish, it is distinguished by excellence in production and respect for the best food production and hygiene practices

Italy at the Table;Food Affairs

Foodlab (***), Foodlab is another CAMI member and an established producer under the Fumara brand. In addition to its own line, it also supplies private labels for large retailers. Quality and food safety are at the heart of their production, which involves dry salting and a careful smoking process

Italy at the Table;Food Affairs

Sicily Food (***), Sicily Food operates under the Fish & Fine brand. Also part of CAMI, it engages in the promotion of high-quality smoked salmon, with a focus on product traceability ...

3.2 The production process

Smoked salmon can be produced in two different ways: a hot smoking process, traditionally used in North America, and a cold smoking process, mostly common in Europe.

There are several steps in the production of smoked salmon. First, fresh or frozen raw material is stored in special cells or started immediately for processing. If whole, the salmon is filleted and trimmed by removing the ventral membrane and any excess fat present. Thorns and bones are then removed. In this way, the salmon is ready to be salted. There are several types of salting:

Injection salting: this is the most widely used industrial salting, especially for entry-level products. Mixtures of water and salt are injected inside the fish; the salmon will be somewhat watery. Salting times are shortened dramatically compared to traditional procedures, making the process the most economical compared to alternatives. Dry salting or "hand" salting: is considered by industry experts to be the best in terms of quality, in fact the meat remains much more compact. The salmon is salted by hand with coarse salt and left to rest. This solution takes longer and is far more expensive when compared to all other types of salting. Combination salting:This is ...

The value chain

The value chain for smoked salmon begins with the production of the raw material, which can come either from sustainable fish farms or from offshore fisheries, mainly in areas such as Norway, Scotland, or Canada. Once harvested, the salmon is transported to processing facilities under refrigerated conditions to maintain freshness. Here the actual processing begins, which includes cleaning the fish and preparing it for the next steps. The salting process is one of the crucial steps and can take place through several techniques: injection salting, which is quick and inexpensive; dry salting, which ensures higher quality of the final product but requires more time and higher cost; or combined salting, which is a compromise between quality and cost. Next, the fish is smoked, using two main techniques: hot smoking, which is faster, and cold smoking, which is slower but less invasive to the texture of the fish. After smoking, the salmon is brought to a temperature close to zero, sliced and vacuum-packed to ensure preservation and food safety. The resulting product is distributed through various channels, such as supermarkets, specialty stores, and restaurants, until it reaches the end consumer, who purchases it for direct consumption or as an ingredient in more ...

4.1 Price analysis

In this section, cost trends for dry, smoked, or salted seafood products in Italy from **** to **** are analyzed. Monitoring price trends is essential for understanding market dynamics and the impact that external factors such as inflation, changes in demand, and fluctuations in raw material costs can have on the sector.

The graph shows gradual and steady growth over the years. In ****, the annual average price was ***.* followed by a slight increase in **** to ***.*. In ****, there is another small increase to ***.*, which continues in **** with a value of ***.*. In ****, more growth is observed, with the price rising to ***.*, and this trend continues in ****, when the value peaks at ***.*.

Overall, between **** and ****, the price increased by about **.* percent, showing a rather steady upward trend, especially in recent years. This growth could reflect rising costs of production, transportation, or increased demand for quality products in the seafood sector.

Price trends for dried, smoked or salted fish and seafood annually Italy,****-****, (***) - annual averages Istat

For further precision in the price analysis, we show the monthly trend over a time period from January **** to August ****. In January ****, the price stood at ***.*, then began a slow but steady rise to ***.* in June ****. In the following ...

4.2 Classification of products

In Italy, there are three criteria for differentiating smoked salmon products:

Thegeographical origin of the fish: Norway, Scotland, Ireland, Iceland, Alaska; The quality of the raw material: wild salmon, farmed salmon, organic salmon, red label; Marks and labels: never frozen, thawed, hand processed, no brine injection.

The factors that differentiate good quality salmon from poor quality salmon are as follows:

Thesmell: it should be marine and finely iodized; The view: the color should be uniform. If it has dark patches, it means that there are traces of brown muscle and that the fish has been in contact with dyes and chemicals. The flesh may have white patches, but they should not be too large and obvious, otherwise it is a sign of an overly fatty fish. Also, the edges should be neither dry nor yellowed; The shape: slices should be large, which means the fish has had time to grow and mature to the right age to be culled; The texture: the salmon should melt in the mouth while maintaining firmness; Taste: salt and smoking should not precede the taste of salmon.

4.4 A glimpse into the future

The market for smoked salmon is evolving rapidly, and several trends are helping to redefine its future. First, growing consumer focus on healthy and sustainable eating is fueling demand for smoked salmon, particularly in premium product ranges. Awareness about the importance of quality and supply chain transparency is increasing, prompting producers to invest in sustainability certifications, such as those issued by the **Marine Stewardship Council (***)**, and responsible fishing practices. The future of the industry is expected to see an increasing emphasis on sustainability, with consumers demanding certified, environmentally friendly products.

Technological innovations will play a key role in improving production. Advanced smoking techniques and new preservation solutions will make it possible to extend product lifespan without compromising quality, enabling producers to meet increasingly demanding demand. Digital traceability of fish throughout the production chain will be an additional strength, providing the end consumer with clear and reliable information on the origin and processing of salmon.

In parallel, digitization and e-commerce are profoundly changing the retail landscape. More and more consumers prefer to buy food products online, opening up new sales opportunities for smoked salmon producers, especially in the direct-to-consumer (***) arena. Digital platforms will also allow them to reach growing international markets, expanding ...

5.1 Regulation and certification

In Italy there are several certifications that protect consumers and help them make informed choices; they are mostly shared internationally or at the European level. The best known and most common are:

MSC (***) activities. IFS (***) recognized international standard of quality and environmental safety. it was created to create a uniform and transparent assessment approach in production processes. The goal is to ensure food quality and safety for the end consumer. ASC (***), is an international nonprofit organization established for the purpose of developing and managing a responsible aquaculture program. it is a voluntary certification, open to companies involved in this type of activity and chain of custody. It is based on several sustainable aquaculture standards. This type of certification ensures traceability of seafood products along the processing, processing and distribution chain. interestingly, all companies in the chain that intend to handle or sell ASC-certified products must have certified Chain of Custody[***].

6.1 Market segmentation

• Conad
• Esselunga s.p.a
• Agroittica
• Coop
• alles fisch
• La Riunione
• Upstream