During 2019, the sharp rise in raw material costs due to the boom in demand from China – following the spread of African Swine Fever (ASF) in the Far East – created a shock in the pork meat market. 

Italian charcuterie companies have therefore been faced, on the one hand, with raw material costs reaching record levels and on the other with a more difficult market, both domestic and foreign. To all this was added the Covid-19 pandemic consequences. This was highlighted by ASSICA, the Italian association of the meat and cold cuts industries, during its latest analysis.