A 3% increase in production put Romania ahead of Czech Republic, helping it climb back into the top ten, where it had previously been in 2011-2012.
Germany, Italy and France are European Union’s biggest ice cream producers, according to Eurostat data.
The increase in production in Romania can explain the rising interest of international giants in the local ice cream market, which could turn into an export hub for the other markets in the region.
Unilever, which already has a local brand, Napoca, also bought Suceava-based Betty Ice from entrepreneur Vasile Armenean, but the deal is awaiting approval from the competition watchdog.
The Romanian ice cream market is put at EUR200 million a year, ZF has found.
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)