The head of one of Italy's leading dairy sector groups predicted Tuesday that China will be an increasingly important area of focus for the sector going forward. "We are optimistic and it is time to focus on" the Chinese market, said Paolo Zanetti, the new president of Assolatte, an industry group. "Right now, China is a small market [for Italian dairy products] but it's got the potential for great growth." Zanetti's comments were in connection with the 24th International Exhibition for Food, Drink, Hotel, Restaurant, Food Service, Bakery, and Retail Industries in Shanghai, which runs from Tuesday to Thursday. The remarks appeared in the Italian media and were confirmed by an Assolatte official who spoke with Xinhua.
A total of 20 dairy companies from across Italy are showcasing at the expo as part of a three-year promotional campaign in China aimed at increasing awareness of Italian milk, cream, and cheese products. Zanetti said that Italian dairy exports to China are dominated by fresh milk products, but he said that cheese producers were starting to sell more aged cheeses in China. According to Assolatte data, Italy sold around 20 million euros (23 million U.S. dollars) worth of dairy products in China last year. That was a small amount for Italy's dairy industry, but the total exports were still enough to make Italy the fifth-largest foreign supplier of dairy products in China.