Italy sets a price cap for pasta 🍝🇮🇹

Next year Rome will also host a Holy Year, as it does every 25 years. Under the motto “Pilgrims of Hope”, people from all over the world are expected to set new tourism records in the “Eternal City”. To prevent local restaurants from taking advantage of the situation by drastically raising prices, consumer protection groups have proposed a price cap called the “Carbonara Pact” to the Rome city council. This initiative aims to ensure that a selection of traditional dishes remains available at affordable prices, with a maximum price of €12 (approximately $12.70) per serving.

The focus is on these classic dishes:

• Pasta carbonara

• Pasta all’Amatriciana

• Pasta Cacio e Pepe

Pizzerias would also be included in the price cap. Restaurants participating in the initiative would display a special sticker or logo to make it clear to tourists where they can enjoy these meals at the set prices.

However, the initiative raises some concerns. Many restaurant owners were already struggling during the COVID years and subsequent high inflation. Should their pricing flexibility be further restricted? And how to ensure that portion sizes are not simply reduced to compensate for the upper limit?