7 Facts You Didn’t Know About The People in The Italian Food Industry [INFOGRAPHIC]

Stuffed shells. Pizza. Chicken Parmesan over angel hair pasta.

Let’s face it, Italian food is the number one thing that makes life worth living.

But what do you know about the people responsible for it all, the Italians who actually work in the food and beverage industry?Well, we were curious ourselves, so we did some research into the group who make and serve the food we love most.

1. There are 270,000 Italians food industry workers on LinkedIn

Overall, that represents about 3.4 percent of the Italian membership base.

2. With a chocolate company employing the largest percentage of them

Interestingly, the largest employer for Italians in the food industry with LinkedIn profiles isn’t a pasta company or a wine company but a company that makes chocolates, Ferrero. Overall, the company, which makes a wide variety of convections including Nutella, employs 22,000 people.

3. And a lot working as wine tasters and sommeliers

Of the 270,000 Italian food workers with LinkedIn profiles, 21,800 work as wine tasters and sommeliers. That’s nearly three times as many as the 7,300 who work as pizza makers.

4. A lot of Italian food workers majored in economics

The most popular university major among Italians in the food industry with a LinkedIn profile? Something in economics or business management, which was just ahead of social sciences and communications.

5. And attended the University of Milan

The number one school attended by Italian food workers with LinkedIn profiles was the University of Milan, which isn’t too surprising considering it’s one of the largest universities in Europe with 60,000 students. The second most common university attended by the group was the University of Bologna, which is also the world’s oldest continuously-operating university.

6. Most Italians working in the food industry want to be challenged

According to a LinkedIn survey, 71.5 percent of Italian food workers wanted a challenging work environment, the most popular response. Tied for second on the list was Italian food workers wanted to work for a company that had a long-term vision and a place that they’d be proud to work for, which were both cited by 53.9 percent of those surveyed.

7. And a lot went to the Milan Expo

The Milan Expo is a six-month exhibition where organizations from 140 nations showcase new technologies that aspire to provide healthy, safe and sufficient food for a planet with seven billion people. Apparently, it’s highly popular among Italians, as 6,600 mentioned it in their LinkedIn profiles.

* image by Salvadonica Borgo del Chianti

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