The pandemic has positively impacted the sales of packaged ice cream. Thanks to the lockdown, the Italians have, in fact, increased the domestic consumption of the industrial product.
–
Positive trend for packaged ice cream
In particular, according to Unione Italiana Food, in 2020 the purchase in large-scale distribution (super and hyper in the first place) increased by almost 5%. For their part, companies have rode the wave by introducing new variants (for example free from) and new formats (such as mini size) able to intercept the most recent consumer requests. So today at the supermarket you can find countless alternatives: from the classic cone to the vintage-flavored popsicle, from the snack in the ice-cream version to the vegan biscuit.
–
The Altroconsumo test
Altroconsumo has tested 156 references made by both specialized brands and private label. The analysis focused on the nutritional characteristics and composition of the products. The caloric content, the quantity of sugars, salt, fiber, proteins, fruit and the presence of flavorings and additives were therefore considered.
–
Who’s on the podium
At the top of the ranking is Sammontana with its aniseed ice lolly from the Dadaumpa line. The product gets a rating of 57/100, synonymous with average quality. Carrefour’s lemon popsicle follows with just one point away. In third place, with 55/100, are the lemon variant by Coop and the lemon and sour cherry variant by Conad.
–
The primacy of private labels
Beyond the individual marks, the test shows an important fact: the references that obtain the average quality certificate are only 27 out of 156. Less than 20%. All the other products have – according to Altroconsumo parameters – a low quality, which corresponds to a rating of less than 50. Not only that: most of the ice creams with a rating equal to or greater than 50 are offered with the brand name. The brand corresponds to the name of the chain (Carrefour, Coop, Conad, Esselunga) or – in the case of discount stores – to a fancy name (Gelatelli for Lidl, Dolciando for Eurospin).
–
