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Until the beginning of the 2000's, the number of companies in this sector exceeded 200. Today, after a first phase of consolidation, less than 100 companies process tomatoes in Italy, but even more importantly, the five biggest operators – Mutti, Conserve Italia, Star, Divella and Casalasco – control 80% of the market. And the future could bring a further series of mergers and acquisitions.
For Francesco Mutti, who is chairman of the eponymous company based in Parma, tomato processing leader for all of Italy, with a market share of 26% and a turnover of EUR 261 million, "the domestic market, though it is very big, is shrinking and this is to be expected in the current context of increasingly globalized consumption. Even in Germany, people are consuming less and less beer and more and more wine. Tomato-based products are also affected by this evolution in people's tastes. In and of itself, this is not a bad thing. 'Made in Italy' pulped or peeled tomatoes should instead take example on the efforts made to develop public appreciation for wine, then focus on quality and image in order to sell throughout the world."
The Consorzio Casalasco del Pomodoro, which recently bought up the De Rica brand from Generale Conserve, also has the ambition of becoming a major league player in the passata category. Costantino Vaia, the General director of Consorzio, underlined the significance of this deal: "Our industry is facing an unavoidable challenge, which has been brought about by globalization, and it is important to take it up by focusing on collaboration and synergistic measures. The Casalasco project has brought together the Pomì and De Rica brands. These are complementary brands, the first of which is well established for TetraPak packaged products, while the second is stronger in the premium ranges, and they are perfectly suited for a consolidated integrated industry, from field to processing plant."
Conserve Italia, another giant of the cooperative system, based in Bologna, which produces canned vegetables and fruit juice (Cirio and Valfrutta are two brands among others), reports a turnover of several billion euros and has also been growing with determination. This company has resolutely been pursuing its internationalization, notably thanks to a new subsidiary that it opened in recent months in the United States, on the basis of a major distribution agreement for Cirio products in stores of the Walmart chain.
