Bord Bia, government agency for the promotion of Irish food & beverage products, reveals the data of research conducted on Italian consumers to understand what is the real perception of the excellence of the Emerald Island. Year after year the results become more and more interesting: in 2023, in fact, Irish products were exported to Italy for a total of 448 million euros, 57% of this total is Irish meat exports and 13% is Irish fish products. 

Interest in the consumption of red meat in Italy remains stable despite current trends, which see a slight increase in the sale of products of plant origin. 24% of respondents buy less meat but higher quality, this ingredient, in fact, is considered a good source of protein by most of our countrymen (89%). Italians also confirm their attention to quality raw materials: 32% of respondents identify beef as a premium product when raised with the Grass Fed method. And it is in this scenario that we enter the data on Irish meat consumption in Italy: 36% consider Irish meat as a product with a good quality/price ratio because it is raised in the open air and with a diet based on fresh grass from the green Irish meadows.

Research shows that the Grass Fed feed remains an important purchasing driver in the Italian market. Great attention is paid to the type of meat purchased: 58% of consumers buy Irish beef which is established at the 2nd place in the ranking of meat of European origin, surely an important data especially if evaluated compared to an important scenario such as the Italian one. The purchase of Irish lamb is also on the rise, with sales of +9% in 2023.

"Year after year, data from this research shows that Italian consumers are increasingly appreciating Irish meat. 24% of consumers say they buy less meat but higher quality. Quality is the great driver of choice for the purchase of meat from the Emerald Island, an increasingly strong motivation because it stands for a product with very high nutritional values because bred following the Grass Fed method", says Francesca Perfetto, of Bord Bia. 

But if in Italy the situation is more than favorable, what happens in Europe? Expanding the look we see how red meat is becoming more and more a favorite food even in the old continent, a safe choice for lunch or dinner. Here, compared to last year, the consumption of Irish beef increases mainly in the United Kingdom (+10%), France (+24%) and Germany (+5%).