An exclusive survey commissioned by Abimapi (Brazilian Association of Biscuit, Pasta and Industrialized Bread & Cake Industries) and Kantar Usage shows that bread and pasta are among the 10 most consumed in the country. Versatile items are available at points of sale with the most different types and prices, accessible to different tastes and budgets.
Pasta
In the survey, it was observed that almost half of Brazilians consume pasta weekly: around 44.5% of people. “The frequency with which Brazilians use pasta at home is impressive. The food is in basically 100% of homes (98.8%*) in the country, which endorses its fundamental role in the diet of most people and how much it is part of the food culture in Brazil”, explains Claudio Zanão, executive president of Abimapi.
Types of pasta
To choose the type of pasta, we have a wide list. And the pasta formats most consumed by Brazilians are spaghetti (39.8%), screw/ fusilli (23.1%), agnolini/ capeleti/ tortelin (5.7%), lasagna (5.5%) and hoop ( 4.7%). Ao sugo, bolognese and pan pasta are in the top three places, respectively, on the list of 23 pasta dishes present in the population’s routine. “The food industry plays a key role in product innovation, including the famous pasta. And innovation is important for several reasons, including product diversification, the possibility of nutritional improvement, attention to sustainability and, of course, flavor and texture”, points out Zanão.
City
This year’s featured region is actually a city. Rio de Janeiro had a considerable increase in pasta consumption. The total went from 22% to 26%. If we look at the regional profile of pasta consumption in Brazil as a whole, we see a balance in all regions, driven by the metropolitan region of São Paulo.
Industrialized breads
The research also provided a wealth of information about consumer behavior in relation to industrialized bread, which has a penetration rate of 94.7% of homes in Brazil. The food is consumed four times a week in the country by more than 31% of the population. Breakfast continues to be the preferred time to consume the item – purchased, on average, 17 times a year by the consumer.
Types of bread
The favorite formats are sliced bread (73.2%) and tubes (13.2%) – items that saw an increase in consumption from 2022 to 2023 of 5%. Among the types of preparation, versatile, delicious and nutritious homemade sandwiches make up 99% of occasions where industrialized bread is used. The recipes most consumed by Brazilians at home are homemade sandwiches, hot dogs, baked bauru and toast. The main consumption occasion is breakfast, with 80.2% of preference.
Regions
In relation to the regions that consume the most bread in Brazil, the metropolitan region of São Paulo is the one that increased consumption from 2022 to 2023. It went from 47.3% to 54.8%. A very considerable increase. We can say that this growth (and what the category represents as a whole) is largely due to the different consumption possibilities that industrialized bread offers – whether as a snack or an afternoon snack, for example. Consumption occasion that has been gaining importance in the category, as it is a versatile food that can easily be inserted into any meal.
*Fonte: Kantar Usage 2023
