Italian supplier to launch branded stonefruit range, ready-to-use potato line, and more occasion-based packs to drive consumption
Italian supplier Naturitalia says it will continue to develop a range of new products and back them with concerted marketing campaigns, as it attempts to grow demand for fresh fruit and vegetables at home and abroad.
“We are working on new products to introduce to the market in the coming months, both in the fresh produce and ready-to-eat sectors,” explains Gianluca Lucchi, the group’s domestic sales coordinator.
Those innovations include novel types of stonefruit, improved grape varieties, and kiwifruit in a range of different colours.
At Italy’s largest fresh produce trade fair, Macfrut, which takes place in Rimini on 21-23 April, the company will unveil a new line of ready-to-use potatoes, part of subsidiary Patfruit’s range of high-care, fresh-cut products designed for foodservice and retail customers.
And in the coming months, it also plans to roll out a new, branded range of Italian-grown peach and nectarine varieties, each selected for their flavour and visual appeal.
Rising to the occasion
Naturitalia’s efforts to boost fresh produce consumption also include the creation of occasion-based products.
With students at the CILS Social Cooperative of Cesena, it recently developed a range of new packaging designed for specific moments.
These include cocktail and mini plum tomatoes for Father’s Day, snack cucumbers for Easter, and strawberries for Mother’s Day.
Later this year, the model will be extended to nectarines for summer, pumpkins for Halloween, and persimmons and oranges for autumn.
And a focus on extending supply of local produce for the domestic market remains a key priority.
Strawberries are one of its flagship products and, thanks to recent investments, it now offers a growing mix of mainstream and premium varieties.
“The launch of the Basilicata PGI Strawberry project fits into this context, intended to complete the assortment and strengthen our positioning in the high-end market,” adds Augusto Renella, Naturitalia’s marketing manager. “Variable weather conditions often open up new business opportunities, with demand for the product even from customers not typically supplied with this product: quality and differentiation are key.”
Critical moment
Macfrut comes at a critical time for Italian companies including Naturitalia, for which the summer season represents a vital selling period.
This year, an increasingly unstable market scenario means innovation, combined with good planning, is more important than ever.
And although fruit and vegetable sales in Italy showed signs of recovery in 2025, that trend is under pressure again due to inflationary trends, geopolitical tensions, and the effects of extreme weather conditions.
“We are heading into a summer season that, external variables aside, will see regular production,” explains Naturitalia’s general manager, Gabriele Ferri. “The context remains complex: inflation, geopolitical dynamics, and climate trends are increasingly impacting both production and consumption. In this scenario, our goal is to ensure supply continuity and work on value creation through a commercial and operational strategy throughout the supply chain, focused on service and quality.”
