Italy Is Holding A Crisis Meeting Over The Skyrocketing Price Of Pasta
Last May, AP News reported a 6.8% inflation rate in Italy, breaking a record that had been set when the country adopted the Euro in 1999. That number has since increased. The rising costs of electricity and gas now rival those in the U.K., where an enduring energy crisis has set the country back the equivalent of £1,000 per adult.
Meanwhile, the prices of fish and other essential food items are still rising in Italy. The most concerning among them, according to Italian government officials, is durum wheat, also known as the stuff that makes the lifeblood of the Bel Paese: pasta. According to Reuters, pasta prices in March were up 17.5% year-on-year — more than double the projected national inflation rate, even though wheat prices have dropped 30% since last spring.
Today, May 11, Italy will take its first step in getting to the bottom of this gastronomical predicament. Italy's Minister of Economic Development Adolfo Urso will be joined by national trade and consumer associations and the country's new inflation committee for a crisis meeting over the outrageously steep price of pasta.
Wheat prices are down, but pasta is pricier than ever
In response to what we imagine were some very strongly worded letters, Italian pasta producers have cited energy costs and supply-chain issues as reasons for their recent price jacks. Still, consumers are upset.
"There is no justification for the increases other than pure speculation on the part of the large food groups who also want to supplement their budgets with extra profits," said Furio Truzzi, the president of the consumer rights group Assoutenti, in an email to The Washington Post. Italian outlet Ansa says Thursday's meeting is meant, in part, to help consumers understand why pasta prices are high despite lowered wheat costs.
According to a statement from Urso, the outrage has already led several pasta companies to assure their customers that the prices of their products will eventually go back down. If you thought Italy's love of pasta was an exaggeration, here's your proof that it's one of the most beloved foods in the country.