Frozen foods, dairy, meat and oils show biggest hikes since January

Significant hikes in the prices of basic consumer goods were registered between January and September with the biggest being seen in  frozen foods, fresh meat, and dairy products such as milk, yoghurt and cheese, according to the Consumer Protection Service.

As an example, a brand of frozen chicken nuggets jumped from €6.99 to €8.52 since the start of the year.

According to the Consumer Protection Service’s price observatory, the average selling price for a litre of fresh milk has risen from €1.33 in January this year to €1.56 in September, while one brand of yoghurt jumped from €2.66 for 700g to €3.22. Another yoghurt brand rose from €3.05 for a kilo pot to €4.21 in the same time period. Also in the dairy sector, a brand of Edam jumped from €5.80 to €7.30 for 250g.

When it came to coffee, the 100g tin of Nescafe jumped from €3.28 to €3.63 in ten months and a kilo of lentils rose from €2.46 to €3.24.

Some of the biggest hikes were in cooking oils this year. Sunflower oil increased from €8.07 for three litres to around €12.50

Spaghetti rose from around €1.16-€1.63 in January to €1.33-€1.81 in September.

When it came to meat, the price of pork chops per kilo rose from €4.25 in January to €5.27 in September on average. Chicken breast increased per kilo from €6.94 on average to €8 and beef from €9.96 a kilo to €11.85.

As far as fresh produce was concerned, the price of potatoes jumped from €0.85 a kilo in January to €1.21 in September and tomatoes from €1.05 to €1.82 per kilo.

According to the price survey, the cheapest price for a 10kg petroleum gas (LPG) cylinder was €12.95 and the most expensive was €16.90, a 5.5 per cent decrease compared to August 10.

In a statement, the Consumer Protection Service clarified that the price observatory’s sole purpose is informative and does not constitute any advice.

“The list is not intended to substitute the market research carried out by each consumer based on his or her own preferences and needs, nor it is intended to suggest to consumers the products to choose,” the statement said.

It notes that this Watchdog is conducted on a monthly basis and includes fixed products and price-taking venues and “its purpose is to monitor the price fluctuation of basic consumer goods and draw relevant conclusions”.