Supermarkets say food inflation has fallen for the second month in a row

Supermarkets say the rate at which food prices are rising has fallen for the second month in a row, but still at 14.6 percent.

Food inflation fell from 15.4 percent in May, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC), while the fresh food figure fell from 17.2 percent to 15.7 percent as the country became less dependent on expensive imports.

As a result, general retail price inflation fell from 9 percent to 8.7 percent.

A separate study found that one in four people say the struggle to afford to put food on the table causes real stress and has worsened their mental health.

Food costs have, according to research by Which?

BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson said: “Households across the country will welcome the decline in retail price inflation in June.

Food inflation has slowed for a second straight month, especially for fresh produce, as retailers lowered the price of many staples, including milk, cheese and eggs.

Apparel and electrical goods also saw falling prices, allowing customers to grab a bargain ahead of the summer holidays.

“If the current situation continues, food inflation should fall to single digits later this year.”

However, she called on the government to scrap a series of industry reforms, including a new packaging levy to curb plastic waste and a deposit return scheme to encourage bottle recycling.

Ms Dickinson said: ‘It is imperative that the government does not hinder this progress by introducing costly new policies.

“Extended Producer Responsibility” reforms and a new deposit return system could create an additional £4bn burden on retailers and their customers.

“Together with an increase in business rates and the introduction of border controls in October, this policy could hamper the government’s efforts to fight inflation.”

Food inflation fell from 15.4 percent in May, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC), while the fresh food figure fell from 17.2 percent to 15.7 percent as the country became less dependent on expensive imports

Mike Watkins, Head of Retail and Business Insight for NielsenIQ, said: “While prices are still higher than a year ago, the slowdown in food inflation is good news for shoppers, aided by supermarkets cutting prices on some basic goods. .

And if global supply chain costs continue to fall, we may now be past the peak of price increases.

“However, with most households needing to save money, purchasing behavior is likely to continue to shift towards essential needs for the remainder of this year, with discretionary consumption not prioritized or postponed.”

Sue Davies, which one? head of food policy: ‘It’s good to see inflation slowing down a bit, but our latest food and drink tracker shows that prices are still rising at an incredible rate.

“Millions struggle to put food on the table — and some parents tell us they skip meals to make sure their kids have something to eat.

“Now is the time to act. The government must work to get urgent commitments from supermarkets to stock essential budget ranges in all their stores, particularly in areas where people need it most, and to make prices much clearer so that customers can compare prices and products with the best price.’

According to which? Research shows that especially women are suffering from the financial tightness: almost three in ten (30 percent) say their mental health has deteriorated as a result of the rise in food prices.

Meanwhile, a third of people aged 35 to 54 – those most likely to be parents of young families – said food costs had a negative impact on their mental health.

Survey participants said they live day to day, while one described the food cost problem as “a black cloud that never goes away.”

More than one in five (22 percent) had lost sleep due to food costs and another one in five said their physical health had also deteriorated.