Pasta and rice moved up only gently in the three months to 4 November 2026. Nine of the ten indexed materials were higher over three months, yet the average gain was just 0.9%, and the family stood 0.2% lower than a year earlier. It holds 12 materials: dry pasta shapes, noodles, ravioli, prepared rice and two rice-based products without an index.
Prepared rice is the clear outlier, up 4.0% over three months and 4.9% over a year, the strongest figures in the family on both counts. Ravioli come close on the annual view at +4.2%, after +1.0% over the quarter. Broad pasta and noodles share the same path: +1.5% over three months, -0.4% over twelve.
The individual shapes barely moved. Penne pasta, twisted pasta, spaghetti, crozets and vermicelli each added 0.3% over the quarter and sit 1.5% below last year. Udon noodles are the only faller, down 0.4% over three months and 2.6% over a year, the weakest annual reading here.
Italy dominates the pasta news. Truck-driver protests blocked ingredient deliveries to pasta plants on 20 October, a cost-of-living protest brought production to a standstill on 21 October, and pasta was reported scarce in the south the next day. On 19 October, De Matteis said it was investing to raise capacity at its Flumeri and Giano plants.
Rice noodles and rice stick carry notes but no index. Those notes cover the wider rice market: on 29 October, rains in Uttar Pradesh disrupted the paddy harvest while Asian FOB prices were described as firm. On 22 October, Vietnam's Ministry of Industry and Trade sought comments on draft national standards for fresh rice noodles and pho noodles.