Italian panettone commercial and regulatory trends

In Italy, retailers are engaging in “seasonal de-seasonalization” by moving holiday products, such as panettone, into earlier months. In Milan, these items have appeared in supermarkets as early as the beginning of October to extend sales periods. Some specialty versions, such as a limited-edition Halloween panettone by pastry chef Iginio Massari, have also been introduced.

Amidst this commercial activity, the Academy of Masters of Sourdough and Italian Panettone has proposed a new manifesto to protect the identity of the traditional product. Presented at the fifth World Panettone Convention in Rome, the initiative seeks to update existing ministerial decrees to strengthen international competitiveness.

Key proposals include establishing an official ‘Panettone Italiano’ designation for products using strictly traceable Italian raw materials, as well as a ‘Panettone Italiano – 100% Agricultural Supply Chain’ label. These measures aim to address a global market exceeding 2 billion euros, where more than 60% of production and consumption currently occurs outside of Italy.