Tuttofood Milano 2025: A Strategic Shift Towards the Dynamic Asian Market

As global trade dynamics evolve, Tuttofood Milano 2025 is setting its sights on the rapidly growing Asian and Pacific markets — a move driven by shifting international tariffs and the region's impressive economic momentum.

During the recent Tokyo stop of the international roadshow "The Italian Aperitivo," organized by Fiere di Parma and the Italian Trade Agency (ITA), it was revealed that 12% of foreign companies participating in Tuttofood Milano 2025 hail from Asia and the Pacific, including China. This event marked the tenth leg of a global tour designed to engage key food & beverage stakeholders worldwide, attracting over 1,000 international decision-makers over the past year.

Asia’s Rising Influence on Tuttofood Milano 2025

The Tokyo event gathered influential Japanese entrepreneurs, international buyers, trade promotion organizations (TPOs), journalists, and key stakeholders. Hosted by the Italian Ambassador to Tokyo, Gianluigi Benedetti, and Fiere di Parma’s CEO Antonio Cellie, the gathering reaffirmed Japan's strong presence at the upcoming Milanese expo. This was made possible through partnerships with ITA Tokyo and Koelnmesse GmbH.

Antonio Cellie emphasized that U.S. tariff uncertainties prompted Fiere di Parma to pivot towards high-potential, fast-growing markets like Japan, South Korea, and the broader Asia-Pacific region. "We swiftly redirected our focus to countries with remarkable demographic and income growth, particularly in Asia," Cellie stated.

Innovation at the Core of Tuttofood Milano 2025

The 2025 edition, co-organized by Fiere di Parma and Koelnmesse, promises an innovative, experiential transformation. Interactive technologies, trend-focused areas, and immersive formats will position Tuttofood as a global innovation hub and a prime business platform. The event will host over 25% international exhibitors and welcome around 90,000 visitors — including more than 3,000 top-tier international buyers — creating opportunities for new product discoveries and strategic partnerships with Italian, European, and global companies.

Covering the entire agri-food supply chain, the expo will showcase grocery products, fresh foods, semi-finished goods, and a curated selection of PDO, PGI, organic, and gourmet products. Additionally, food tech innovations and sustainable food solutions will take center stage, reflecting the industry’s evolving demands for quality, authenticity, and innovation.

Asia-Pacific: A High-Growth Market for Italian Exports

According to NielsenIQ’s 2024 data, the Asia-Pacific region has shown resilient growth in fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), with a 2.7% organic value increase, driven by volume recovery from -0.9% in 2023 to +2.5% in 2024. Notably, fresh food leads global volume growth, with Asia-Pacific recording a 3% increase, trailing only Africa and the Middle East.

Italian exports to Asia-Pacific are flourishing, with notable volume increases across key categories: ground coffee and beans (+2.3%), dry pasta (+5.8%), olive oil (+6.1%), and tomato concentrate (+8.1%). These figures underscore the region’s growing appetite for premium Italian products.

Beatrice Bonizzoni, Business Development Global Snapshot at NielsenIQ, highlighted the pivotal factors behind Asia’s market evolution: "The modernization of traditional retail, fueled by digitalization and improved infrastructure, is reshaping sales channels. The rise of small-format stores, up-trading and down-trading strategies in supermarkets, and the surge of advanced e-commerce — including quick commerce and social commerce — are driving this transformation."