The per capita consumption of cheese in Italy fluctuated between 22 and 23 kilograms in the past decade.
There are 42 varieties of PDO cheeses (Protected Designation of Origin) in Italy, and their production volume reached 596.67 metric tons in 2021, an 11.1% growth from the volume produced in 2016. Italian PDO cheese is used in a majority of dishes in authentic Italian cuisine.
Since European restaurants, mostly Italian cuisine, hold a majority share in the market, a good indicator to understand the development of the FSR market in Italy is the production and consumption of Italian specialty cheese in the country. By cuisine, the segment mainly consists of European restaurants, followed by Asian and North American restaurants. The market is being driven by the full-service restaurants and cafes & bars sub-segments, which depend on developing tourism and commercial real estate in the country. The Italian market grew by CAGR of 1.65% in value from 2017 to 2022.
