Extra virgin olive oil : consumption declines sharply
Consumers said they have reduced their consumption of extra virgin olive oil by at least 30 percent…
Many Italians are reducing their consumption of extra virgin olive oil, a mainstay of Mediterranean diet, as retail prices continue to rise.
Consumers say they have reduced their consumption of extra virgin olive oil by at least 30 percent, up to half, because of the rise in average supermarket prices from 4 euros to 9 euros a bottle.
But Italian producers counter the data, saying sales of higher quality Italian extra virgin olive oil are on the rise.
Almost half of respondents said they were replacing olive oil with cheaper seed oil.
The reported drop in consumption is much smaller than in other olive oil-producing Mediterranean countries because olive production in Spain, the world’s largest olive oil producer, has been drastically reduced, driving up prices worldwide.
According to industry estimates, olive oil sales in both Greece and Spain fell by a third last year.
But olive oil is more than just a product.
It has always represented Italy on the international stage and has been part of our diet for centuries.
