“In Italy, the consumption of mineral water has grown in recent years – says Ettore Fortuna vice president and managing director of Mineracqua, the producers’ trade association – however, this year we are down by 4-5%, because the climate factor greatly influences our sector (up to five percentage points a year). The temperatures recorded from the beginning of the year to today are lower than the average and in particular compared to 2022, characterized by strong and prolonged heat. However, the average per capita consumption of mineral water in Italy is equal to 0.6 liters per day”.
How many companies are there in the sector?
“There are 130 companies, but there are around 300 brands. Ours is a sector heavily regulated by laws, legislative decrees, ministerial European regulations, regional laws (each region has its own). We must therefore juggling laws and decrees, and we also have the strictest legislation in Europe which, however, represents the assurance of quality and safety for the consumer and for our businesses. Only Germany has more mineral waters than us, but they all come out very mineralized with lots of carbon dioxide. The result is that we export a lot of still water to that country”.
But in Italy do you consume more still or sparkling water?
“The consumption of still water is equal to 69%, 17% is that of sparkling water and 14% is natural effervescent water, a peculiarity that distinguishes us in Europe. It should be emphasized that each mineral water is different from the other under the chemical, bacteriological and organoleptic profile. I like to say that mineral water is the fingerprint of the earth. In terms of price, Italy is the country where it costs the least. average price of 0.22 euros per liter against 0.73 in the United Kingdom, 0.36 in Germany and 0.30 in France”.
What are the critical issues of the sector?
“Ours are companies of volumes and not of value. We will have to work on this taking into account that the consumer price is also an expression of the high level of existing competition. We must also continue to invest in sustainability taking into account the reconciliation of ethical values, respect and protection of the environment with the efficiency of companies. In this we are favored by Pet, the plastic we use for bottles which is a guarantee for consumer safety. In 10 years, we have reduced the weight of the bottles by 40% against a 30% market growth with the result that we place the same quantity of PET on the market as 10 years ago”.
Where are mineral springs located in Italy?
“In all regions there are springs we can say that some are very rich: Piedmont, Lombardy, Veneto, Tuscany, Campania. The underground aquifer of our country is enormous equal to 50 billion cubic meters of which 17 of groundwater. We only bottle 1 million e 650,000 cubic meters or 0.0001 of what is available”.
What is the size of your market?
“We sell 15 billion liters a year in Italy and 1 billion and 600 million we export them. Exports with a positive balance of 650 million euros per year. The total turnover in 2022 amounted to 3.1 billion euros”.
At one point last year, in conjunction with the increase in the price of energy, there was no longer sparkling water. What had happened?
“The carbon dioxide supplier had suspended production due to high energy costs and therefore preferred to produce oxygen. So we went to buy C02 abroad and found new suppliers”.
What is the thing that makes you most proud?
“First of all, our businesses are family-run and have the speed and flexibility of operational decisions. Our strength is installed production capacity that allows us to cope with peak demand. And then the commitment we are putting into sustainability. Our pet bottles correctly collected and sent for recycling can, after consumption, give life to a new bottle with the same chemical-physical and safety characteristics: a perfect example of circular economy. But also become something else. For example the seat of a car”.