Food inflation surged for the fifth consecutive month, reaching 4.97% in May, according to consumer association Testachats on Wednesday, surpassing the 4% mark for the second time this year after April’s 4.35%.
For over three years, Testachats has calculated monthly food inflation by tracking the price changes of more than 3,000 products across seven supermarket chains: Albert Heijn, Carrefour, Colruyt, Cora, Delhaize, Aldi, and Lidl.
According to their data, food inflation began its steady rise in January at 3.29%, while it was still below 3% in December at 2.81%.
The categories with the most significant price increases over the past year include fruit and meat, each up by 10%, particularly beef at 17%, soft drinks at 8%, and spices at 7%. Dark and milk chocolate prices soared by 44%.
Testachats notes that their basket is now 31% pricier than in January 2022, when inflation first surpassed 2%. Since then, dark chocolate rose by 85%, mustard by 71%, milk chocolate by 66%, onions by 64%, and olive oil by 63%.
The organisation highlights that the entire food supply chain is under pressure, with farmers earning insufficiently and manufacturers warning of historically low margins. “Yet, prices remain too high for consumers,” Testachats emphasised. “It is time to seriously address this issue by making the entire chain more transparent.”
