16 Ottobre: World Bread Day 2025

The World Bread Day (Journée mondiale du pain) is celebrated on October 16.

It was established in 2006 on the initiative of the International Union of Bakers and Confectioners (UIBC), with the aim of promoting bread culture, raising awareness of the role of bread in the diet, and encouraging the consumption of fresh bread.

The choice of the date is not accidental: it coincides with World Food Day, as bread is a staple food in many cultures.

Per capita consumption – global and European overview

In Europe, the consumption of bakery products (including bread) has remained stable in recent years, with a slight decline due to the effects of the pandemic (2019–2021).

In Italy, the annual per capita bread consumption is estimated at around 41 kg (2024 data).

This level is lower than in other European countries: for example, Romania records about 74 kg per capita, while Germany and Austria are at the top with approximately 80 kg per person per year. Conversely, the United Kingdom and Ireland show lower levels, below 50 kg per person per year.

Main trends – Health, functionality and “health claims”

There is a growing number of new product launches featuring claims such as “high in protein,” “rich in fibre,” “no additives/preservatives,” “gluten-free,” or “organic.”

In Europe, the annual growth rate of the “high protein” bread segment is estimated at around 8%.

Attention to the “clean label” concept (more transparent labelling, simple and natural ingredients) is becoming increasingly central.

Reflections on the Italian market

Over the past 10–15 years, Italy has seen a gradual decline in the number of traditional bakeries due to several structural factors:

Decreasing profit margins: rising costs of flour, energy, transport and labour, without the possibility of fully transferring these increases to retail prices.

Competition from large-scale retail (GDO): supermarkets offer “freshly baked in-store” bread at lower prices.

Changing eating habits: less bread is eaten at the table (from 100 kg per capita in the 1970s to about 40 kg today), while consumption of substitutes such as crackers, breadsticks and flatbreads is increasing.

Regulations and bureaucracy: running a bakery involves high fixed costs, continuous updates, and compliance with strict hygiene and safety standards.

According to data from CNA and Confartigianato, over the past 20 years the number of Italian bakeries has dropped from over 25,000 to about 17,000. The regions with the sharpest decline are Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna and Veneto. Around 400–500 artisanal bakeries close every year, while far fewer new ones open.

Growth of large-scale retail (but not always of quality)

Large-scale retail has progressively absorbed a significant share of the bread market in two ways:

“Bake-off” bread: semi-finished or frozen dough baked directly in small ovens inside supermarkets or discount stores.

Packaged long-shelf-life bread: industrial bread packaged in a protective atmosphere or frozen.

This model is economically successful (greater convenience and lower prices – though not always – for consumers), but the product is often standardized (sometimes “less appealing” and “less appetizing”), and its taste and freshness cannot be compared to artisanal bread. The question is: do consumers actually notice these differences?

At present, in many supermarkets, “fresh bread” is in fact partially baked and then reheated, having been produced industrially elsewhere. A new Italian law (Bill No. 413) is expected to soon require clear labelling to indicate when bread has been partially baked elsewhere before sale, thus avoiding possible ambiguity for consumers. It will also ban misleading expressions such as “freshly baked,” “just out of the oven,” or “warm bread,” which, although not directly referring to fresh bread, evoke that idea and do not correspond to reality.