Not only the cost of energy, inflation continues to act as a silent tax especially in first consumer goods and small ‘gratifications’ that Italians do not want to give up. For example, pizza, which has become almost a ‘luxury’ food genre. In fact, the cost of one of the favorite dishes in Italy and abroad increased by almost 30 percent in December compared to a year ago, Bloomberg surveys show. An increase that far exceeds the inflation rate at 12.3 percent in December. A rise, Assipan Confcommercio points out, also and above all due to speculation.
“On the trend of the cost of flours at the moment there is no expectation of a reduction,” explains Antonio Tassone, president of Assipan Confcommercio, “so it remains at the levels that have seen the cost of the raw material rise by as much as 33 percent. For example, he adds, “a baking flour cost 55 euros per quintal in January 2022, today (January 2023) it costs an average of 73 euros per quintal. All this, of course, is reflected in the cost of bakery buns found in Italian bakeries and therefore also of pizza.”
On pizza then, Tassone further says, “also greatly affects the cost of peeled tomatoes that have increased by almost 80 percent, mozzarella that has grown by 25 percent and olive oil that has risen by at least 15 percent.” According to the president of Assipan Confcommercio, “the only way to curb the price run is a supply chain agreement that protects the trend by favoring consumption. There is also speculation in these increases because there is no raw material shock from the origin, that is, the shortage of raw material that determines and justifies a price increase.”
