FACUA-Consumidors en Acció conducted a study on Evolution of food prices affected by the value-added tax reduction over the past year. This analysis compared the prices of thirty food categories in January 2023, already with the discount in place, and what they had in January 2024.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (69%), Strawberry Tray 500g (52%), and Krill Net 5kg (31%) are the products in which the highest price increase was detected over the past 12 months. The association's study collects the development of prices of various products offered for sale in Eight large distribution chains: Alcampo, Aldi, Carrefour, Dea, Aerosky, Hypercor, Lidl and Mercadona. Prices were taken on January 2, 3, 8 and 9, 2024.
Among the 30 foods analyzed, FACUA was found Comparing the development of prices at origin and at points of sale Of 13 of them. In dozens there were price increases at points of sale higher than the original increases. The association will transfer the data to the Ministry of Social Rights, Consumerism and Agenda 2023, which insists on demanding the opening of an investigation leading to the imposition of penalties on companies that inflate their profit margins, a practice prohibited in foodstuffs with reduced value-added tax.
Prices at origin were obtained and/or calculated using data published by the General Directorate of Analysis, Coordination and Statistics of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food relating to the first week of January 2023 and the first week of January 2024.
When selecting the foods to be analyzed, different brands were taken into account, but in similar shapes so that they could be compared. The products analyzed were: olive oil, sunflower oil, wheat flour (1 kg), flour (1 kg), pasta (500 g), spaghetti (1 kg), whole milk (1 liter), semi-skimmed milk. (1 liter), pardina lentils (1 kg), white beans (1 kg), extra chickpeas (1 kg), egg (12 kg), round rice (1 kg), brown rice (1 kg).) Shredded mozzarella cheese (200-250 grams) and grated cheese 4 cheeses (120-200 grams).
For vegetables, lettuce (1 unit), onion (1 kg), carrot (1 kg), krill (5 kg), sliced mushrooms (250-300 g), red krill (2 kg), tomato salad (1 kg) and garlic (200 -250 g). Of fruits, golden apple (1kg), orange (4kg), tray strawberry (500g), white grape (500g), fuji apple (1kg), lemon (1kg) and conference pear (1kg).
Oli Doleva
Olive oil was, by far, the substance that raised its price the most over the past year in supermarkets (69% on average for extra virgin, up to 155% in some specific cases). While the price of the extra virgin product at origin increased by €2.54/L (from €4.91 to €7.45), at the point of sale, the different packaging formats increased by €5.08/L (the increase amounted to €8.81/L in 2018). Coosur Hojiblanca 1 liter container case in Eroski).
Fruits and vegetables
Climbing recorded in 500 grams box of strawberries They range from 44.2% of Eroski (from €3.64 in January 2023 to €5.25 in January 2024) to 56% of Mercadona and Dia (from €3.84 to €5.99). In this type of packaging, the price of this fruit increased by an average of 3.94 euros/kilo in the analyzed supermarkets (reaching 4.30 euros/kilo in the cases of Mercadona and Dia). In all of these countries, the increase was higher than the originally more expensive €2.50/kilo (from €2.32 to €4.82/kilo).
the Net of 5 kilo creel They have become more expensive by an average of 31.4% in one year (from €4.93 on average at the beginning of last year to €6.48 currently). Originally, a kilo of krill was paid in January 2023 and in January 2024 at €0.41. On the other hand, at all points of sale analysed, the price was higher, on average 31 cents per kilo above the price it was a year ago (up to an increase of 60 cents per kilo in the case of Carrefour).
he One kilo of Fuji pumice It has become more expensive on average by 27.6% over the past 12 months. The variation ranges from the 18% decline recorded in Dia – the only chain where the price fell from last year – to the 85.3% rise in Al Campo. The increase at origin this year was only 3 cents per kilo (from 0.70 to 0.73 euros per kilo), while at points of sale there was an average rise of 55 cents per kilo (to reach 1.22 euros per kilo in 2018). Campo).
he Carlott Kilo It now costs on average 26.2% more than in January 2023. Aldi is the only chain where its prices have fallen by 7%, while in the rest the increases reach 38.3% in the case of Dia. The amount paid to the farmer per kilo of carrots remained unchanged between January 2023 and January 2024 (€0.29/kilo). On the other hand, in supermarkets, a kilo has become, on average, 22 cents more expensive than last year (and up to 31 cents more per kilo in the case of Diya).
15.9% increase on average at points of sale Trays of 250 and 300 grams of laminated mushrooms (from 1.51 to 1.75 euros). All chains raised their prices, reaching 39.1% in the case of Al Campo. Originally, the price of a kilo of mushrooms rose 14 cents in the past 12 months (from 1.69 to 1.83 euros). The increase in supermarkets was also much higher, at 80 cents per kilo on average (and up to €2.24 per kilo in Al Campo).
he A kilo of conference pears It has risen in supermarkets by an average of 15.5% (rose from 1.94 to 2.24 euros). Originally, the price was unchanged compared to January 2023 (0.75 €/kg). But at the points of sale analysed, the average increase was 30 cents per kilo (achievement of 45 cents per kilo at Eroski).
Onions Their price has risen on average by 15.3% in supermarkets (from 1.70 to 1.96 euros per kilo). Originally, the increase was 7 cents per kilo last year (from 0.39 to 0.46 euros). At the point of sale, the average increase was 26 cents per kilo (and up to 46 cents per kilo at Hypercore).
he A kilo of golden albums It increased in the institutions analyzed by an average of 13.5% (from 1.77 to 2.01 euros). Originally the price increased by 8 cents per kilo (from 0.53 to 0.61 euros). And in supermarkets it averages 24 cents per kilo (up to 52 cents in kambo).
18.8% more expensive on averageIceberg magic (From 0.90 in January 2023 to 1.07 euros in January 2024)
Of the 15 fruits and vegetables eaten in this study, lemons are the only food whose price was lower in January 2024 than it was a year earlier. A kilo of limes currently costs 1.79 euros on average, while a year ago it was 1.88 euros (down 4.8%, on average 9 cents). Of course, the original drop was higher, 15 cents per kilo (from 0.35 to 0.20 euros).
Pasta, flour, legumes and milk
Among the legumes The largest increase occurred in kilograms of pardina lentils15.1% (increased from 3.10 to 3.57 euros). While the price per kilo in supermarkets rose by 47 cents (up to 1.06 euros in the case of Carrefour's Asturiana brand), the original price of lentils fell by 1 cent per kilo (from 0.77 to 0.76 euros).
he An additional kilo of chickpeas Its average decreased by 5.1% compared to the price it was a year ago (from 2.56 to 2.43 euros). An average decline of 13 cents per kilo, while originally unchanged compared to what farmers were paid 12 months ago (€0.79 per kilo).
he 500 grams box of pasta They became more expensive in one year by 10.2% (from €1.27 on average in January 2023 to €1.40 in January 2024), while the cost of a 1kg package of spaghetti rose by 5.3%. In this case, the largest increase was revealed in the Alcampo brand package with a price increase of 22.1% (from 1.22 to 1.49 euros).
According to the FACUA study, BricA liter of milk The cost of whole milk is almost 3% higher than a year ago, while the price of semi-skimmed milk is up 4% compared to January 2023. A kilo of white beans has also risen by an average of 7.5%.
Highlight a case Lensesthe kilo of which in January 2024 is paid for one cent cheaper than in January 2023. At the same time, it is sold in supermarkets at an average price of 0.48 euros more than it was a year ago.
he A packet of wheat flour It is practically the same price as last year (an increase of 0.8%) while a kilo of flour currently costs 4.6% higher than it did in January 2023.
Rice, eggs and cheese
he One kilo of round rice They have become more expensive on average by 6.74% over one year (from €1.63 to €1.74). The biggest rise in Brillante Subrose rice occurred at Hypercor, where it currently costs 53.3% more than it did in January 2023. This same product also costs 47.8% and 42.5% more at Carrefour and Hypercor. Conversely, the price of a kilo of brown rice fell by 8% in supermarkets in the same period.
the A dozen eggs mFor its part, their prices increased by 2.9%, while the price of a bag of grated mozzarella cheese and four types of cheese decreased by 3.5% and 10.7%, respectively.
At Hipercor, twelve M eggs this year cost 0.24 euros more than in January 2023. However, originally, twelve eggs are currently paid 6 cents cheaper than they were paid a year ago (from 1.59 to 1.53 euros).
but against, Sunflower oil saw an average decline of 29.1%.. The average price of this product in January 2023 was 2.82 euros per liter, while in January 2024 it reached 2.00 euros. This was one of the foods whose prices rose the most in 2022 due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Under the royal decree law that applies to the reduction of value-added tax on basic foods, the price of none of the products analyzed cannot rise unless there are increases in costs.
FACUA notes that both the Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and the 2030 Agenda as well as the regional consumer protection authorities have powers to impose sanctions in the face of these practices. It is granted under Article 47 of the Royal Legislative Decree approving the amending text of the General Consumer Defense Law. “and determines”“Infringements in the field of consumer protection.” It indicates in the letter (f) of its section 1 that it is “a violation of the rules of price regulation (…) or any other type of illegal interference or action that assumes an increase in prices or commercial margins.”“.
For this reason, the association has been calling on the ministry led by Pablo Postenduy for months to compel an investigation to identify cases in which increases in profit margins occurred and to punish the companies responsible.
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