White meat consumption on the rise: turnover at 7.7 billion. Record also for eggs

In times of inflation and shopping trolley cuts, white meat and eggs continue to perform in terms of production and consumption. In 2024, the white meat sector posted +3.6% in volumes: domestic consumption grew by 3.7%, reaching 22 kg per capita, the highest value in the last decade (a trend that will continue in the first half of 2025).

The identikit of the sector was updated in Rome during the national assembly of Unaitalia, the national association of the Italian poultry sector: 64,000 employees along the supply chain - of which 25,500 in processing - and a total turnover of 7.75 billion euro (up 3.3% on 2023).

"The Italian poultry sector confirms its solidity despite the uncertainties and fears linked to an uncertain and challenging geopolitical and market context, an evolving European regulatory framework and the concerns related to the spread of the avian influenza virus in Europe," comments thepresident of Unaitalia, Antonio Forlini. "76% of national production now adheres to the Unaitalia specifications," Forlini continues, "and one third of Italian production will certify in 2024 animal welfare parameters in breeding above the legal limits.

Positive trend also for eggs: +3% in production and +3.8% in consumption in 2024 (equal to 218 eggs per capita). The domestic penetration index touches 94%, the highest among the protein sources of animal origin. A fondness that is reflected in the first half-year data with 10% volume growth in sales in both large-scale distribution and retail.

Eggs are also on the rise in Europe: In spite of price rises due to expensive materials and costs linked to increasingly high-performance animal welfare targets, consumption in the Twenty-Seven is on the rise, rising by 8% in June, a sign that households have replaced more expensive products with more affordable noble proteins, despite the fact that the forced reduction in the availability of laying hens due to the bird flu has pushed up prices, with price rises that Brussels now estimates at 27% year-on-year and 49% compared to the five-year average.