Companies ‘not out of the storm but’ on inflation, FDF warns

Posted on Feb 15, 2023

Foods and drinks costs have dropped by 0.1 of a proportion level, from 16.9% in December to 16.8% in January, with inflation now displaying promising indicators of peaking. Nevertheless, the Meals and Drink Federation (FDF) has warned that companies usually are not out of the storm but.

Foods and drinks costs rose by 16.8% in January, a slight easing on December’s 16.9% and above UK’s CPI inflation of 10.1%. That is the primary time in eighteen months that annual foods and drinks inflation is easing. On the month, costs continued to rise by 0.6%.

Of the 49 principal meals classes reported within the newest figures from Workplace for Nationwide Statistics, solely eight recorded inflation in single-digits. Amongst the recorded classes, poultry noticed worth rises of 18.5%, with beef and veal and pork seeing worth will increase of 14.7% and 16.8%, respectively.

Table of Contents

Strain stays

Chief govt of the FDF, Karen Betts stated that foods and drinks inflation stays “worryingly excessive”, however added that it’s encouraging to see indicators that it’s beginning to peak.

She stated: “Our trade can see the strain that rising costs are placing on everybody’s weekly store, and corporations try their best possible to restrict worth rises for consumers. Nevertheless, with foods and drinks corporations’ common manufacturing prices rising 21% prior to now 12 months, some worth rises are having to be handed on to ensure that corporations to stay afloat. The strain on our sector is such that every one the proof now factors to double the variety of foods and drinks corporations going out of enterprise in 2022 as was the case in 2019.

“The Chancellor can help us as we proceed to face into inflationary headwinds in subsequent month’s Funds, together with by incentivising corporations to take a position whereas buying and selling is so robust, reforming the Apprenticeship Levy and by guaranteeing new laws on plastics and packaging each drive up recycling and drive down costs.”