n.615

Ham: why is it called that?


with a dozen different types and qualities on the list of PDO (an acronym that indicates that processing and elaboration take place in the same production area) and PGI (certain qualities of the product are derived from the area of origin). But why is ham called this? There are various hypotheses, but they all agree that ham is about to dry up... the etymology derives .. from the processing: once slaughtered, the leg of the pig is put to cool, and salted so that the salt dries out the meat to stop the development of bacteria and thus enable preservation. A technique already known in Roman times, which has evolved over time..

Prosciutto
 

n.614

US duties on pasta increase from 92% to a maximum of 14%


The duty for La Molisana would be reduced to 2.26 per cent, while the rate for Garofalo would be set at around 14 per cent. The remaining 11 pasta producers - including Barilla - would face duties of 9.09 per cent, the Italian Foreign Ministry said. Financial Times The proceedings began after some US companies accused Italian pasta makers of selling at prices they considered too low, opening an anti-dumping procedure that included duties of up to 91.74% on top of the standard EU tariff of 15%. The prospect of such heavy charges had ignited a heated political and economic debate, with fears about the possible impact on Italian exports to the US, one of the most important markets for the sector. Red Prawn Drafted 2 January, updated 3 January 2026

BarillaPasta
 

n.613

The President of the Council has the same positions as Trump but shows more diplomacy: she admits climate change but does nothing concrete


rather demonise the ecological transition. Indeed, Trump has just suspended the operating permits for all major offshore projects under construction in the USwith immediate effecton 22 December (Le Monde). The announcement concerns in particular five projects located on the east coast that represent a total investment of $25 billion (around €21 billion). These fields, which had received federal credits under Joe Biden's tenure, were supposed to provide electricity to more than 2.5 million households and businesses and create nearly 10,000 jobs (Le Monde). The political risk is great as the cost of electricity in the US has risen by 5% this year, the power grid is obsolete, and the 'inflation theme' is hot (Le Monde). . While in our country, industrial production is retreating, also under the blows of an Italian energy cost that is among the highest in Europe. Below: the ecological transition does not stop (Lifegate December 2025), despite Trump and Meloni.

Climate changeInflation
 

n.610

What the new decree on dealcoholised wine sets out, and why the sector has been waiting for it for a long time


The decree comes after a long period of anticipation [and opposition from the Ministry and Coldiretti] on the part of the wine sector and industry associations. In recent months, the issue of dealcoholised wine has remained in a regulatory limbo, which has slowed down investment, experimentation and industrial planning, despite the fact that the European legislation was already in force. Trade associations had repeatedly called for action to clarify, above all, the tax and authorisation aspects, which were considered the main obstacle to the segment becoming fully operational in Italy. The lack of a regulatory framework governing excise duties and the management of tax warehouses had, in fact, created legal uncertainty for producers interested in developing ranges of dealcoholised or partially dealcoholised wine . With the signing of the decree, the regulatory framework within which the sector can operate has now been established, at least as regards tax treatment, authorisations and operational procedures relating to production and storage. The decree was signed by the Minister for Agriculture, Francesco Lollobrigida, alongside Cesare Prandini, President of Coldiretti

AgricultureColdiretti
 

n.609

Peter Brabeck-Lemathe leaves Nestlé: what does it mean?


I copy an article of mine from the 1990s: "Peter Brabeck-Letmathe was CEO (managing director) of Nestlé at the time, today he is its Chairman (chairman of the board). There were 'sparks' with Brabeck during one of his visits to Milan. We were in the fruit and vegetable department of the Superstore in Corsico... Then, as none of us had any interest in quarrelling, everything returned to order. And Nestlé, very realistically, will end up eliminating GMOs from its products in Italy'. The fact that as honorary chairman, Brabeck- Lemathe was no longer listened to and questioned makes one realise how much Nestlé has lost its bearings. And in fact, for years, it has been going through a deep crisis, which seems to have no end ( it had its biggest problem with water and frozen pizzas. On water it got away with it). Drafted 27 December, updated 31 December 2025

Fruit and vegetablesGMOsNestlèSuperstoresWater
 

n.608

The unstoppable rise of YouTube as the leader in views


.. In September, YouTube said it had paid over $100 billion to creators, artists and media groups by 2021. In the last quarter, YouTube's advertising revenue increased by 15% to $10.3 billion. The number of YouTube channels earning more than $100,000 from connected TVs increased by 45% year-on-year. The YouTube model has made many creators very rich,... However, being a successful creator is hard work: they are responsible for making videos that people want to watch, attracting advertisers and developing sponsorship deals with brands. "They are not just creators, they are entrepreneurs," says Sean Downey, Google's president for the Americas and global partners. The Interactive Advertising Bureau estimates that the 'creator economy' advertising market is expected to reach $37 billion this year, up 26 per cent year-on-year. The group expects a further 18% increase in 2026. Financial Times

Streaming
 

n.607

Auchan’s great involution in supermarkets: it sells to Lidl and has part of its network managed by Intermarchè


19 Auchan supermarkets were sold to Lidl for €30 million (source: Olivier Dauvers) and, in November 2025, 300 other similar areas were franchised to Intermarchè. Auchan after wanting to merge with Carrefour and buying back part of the Casino network seems, given the enormous difficulties it is experiencing, to want to concentrate on hypermarkets only. p.s.: even in Italy , Auchan's supermarkets, operated under various SMA and then Simply Market brands, had not been a success. Compiled on 26 December , updated on 27 December 2025

AuchanCarrefourCasinoLidl
 

n.606

Retail prices in Italy and inflation: antitrust investigates


In a nutshell, food inflation is higher than total inflation (which includes other items, such as energy, services, etc.) and therefore the AGCM opened a file on it. We fear it has done so unnecessarily because the prices of many consumer goods - used every day in the lives of Italians - have risen sharply, much higher than average, even in the food sector as a whole. Below - in the first image - you will find some examples. This has also happened in other countries (e.g. meat in the USA). Even during Covid- 19 a similar investigation was triggered, which then ended up in thin air: the real, long-standing problem, which has never been addressed and solved, is that of farmers' profitability (see Repubblica piece below). On this issue you can also read this article. Written on 24 December, updated on 25 December 2025

AgricultureAntitrustCovid-19InflationMeat