Italian beef consumption showing signs of recovery - Brief Article

Eurofood, August 2, 2001

Italian consumers are showing signs of overcoming their BSE psychosis and slipping more beef into their supermarket trolleys.

National agriculture centre Ismea reports that beef consumption increased by 22% year-on-year between 18 June and 24 June.

Figures for January and February point to a very `nationalised' market at that stage in the year, with beef imports down to Lit318bn (164.2m [European Dollar]) from Lit600bn a year earlier.

Imports of pork, poultry and horsemeat increased over the same period. Poultry consumption was 16% higher in the first four months of this year, according to Ismea.