Brazilian bakery and pasta industry posts R$36 billion in first-half sales
Brazil’s biscuit, pasta, industrial bread and cake industry generated R$36 billion in the first half of 2026, up 2.1% year on year. Sales volume fell 2.1%, as consumers concentrated spending on affordable staples and selected premium products.
Revenue rises as sales volumes contract
Brazil’s biscuit, pasta, industrial bread and cake industry generated R$36 billion in the first half of 2026, an increase of 2.1% from the same period of 2025. The value gain came despite a 2.1% contraction in sales volume, showing that higher revenue did not translate into greater physical consumption.
The figures were reported by Portal IN from a study by the Brazilian Association of Biscuit, Pasta and Industrial Bread Industries, Abimapi, using NielsenIQ data. Abimapi represents more than 110 companies accounting for approximately 80% of the market. The association says its product categories are present in every Brazilian household.
NielsenIQ’s findings indicate that consumers are increasingly dividing purchases between two ends of the market. Affordable staples remain important for households seeking savings, while shoppers will still pay more for premium or indulgent products when they see a clear benefit. This pattern is requiring manufacturers to manage price, innovation and perceived value across the same portfolio.
Biscuits lead while cake mixes record fastest growth
Biscuits remained the largest category, with revenue of R$18 billion, up 3.7%. Volume nevertheless declined 2.3% to 747,000 tonnes. Premium products accounted for 10.3% of category revenue and 7.9% of purchase frequency, illustrating how higher-value items retained demand even as total tonnage weakened.
Within biscuits, covered products advanced 7.9%. Butter biscuits increased their household penetration by 1.8% and their purchase occasions by 2.7%. Cookies, covered biscuits and sweet filled biscuits were among the premium options maintaining space in consumer baskets alongside lower-priced basic products.
Cake mixes posted the strongest percentage increase. Revenue reached R$613 million, up 14.7%, while volume rose 4.1% to 69,000 tonnes. Mixes represented 80.7% of their category and recorded a 22.3% rise in the value sales rate, making them one of the first half’s clearest growth areas.
Bread revenue edges higher as pasta and cakes decline
Industrial bread revenue increased 1.1% to R$8.4 billion, although volume dropped 3.9% to 385,000 tonnes. Hamburger and hot dog buns performed positively as some quick meals shifted from food-service outlets to the home. Household purchase occasions for hamburger buns rose 15.6%.
Pasta sales moved in the opposite direction, falling 0.8% to R$7.6 billion. Volume decreased 1.5% to 642,000 tonnes. Refrigerated pasta outperformed the broader category with a 6.4% increase in value, while durum-wheat products and items marketed as homemade also made positive contributions.
Industrial cakes generated R$1.4 billion, down 0.8%, while volume fell more sharply, by 7.4%, to 30,000 tonnes. Smaller packages became more relevant: among single portions, 40-gram formats increased their importance within the category by 4.2%. Across the industry, the combination of rising revenue and lower tonnage points to a market in which pack size, product mix and consumers’ willingness to pay for specific attributes increasingly determine performance.