Inflation has already reached almost 8% over one year in food according to the latest statistics from INSEE. The president of industrialists in the sector, Jean-Philippe André, eco guest on Wednesday, September 28, cannot guarantee that this surge in prices in supermarkets is over. Because manufacturing costs are rising, particularly because of soaring energy prices.
The president of the National Association of Food Industries (Ania) wants to put the rise in food prices into perspective compared to our European neighbours. “Food inflation is almost half of what we see in Spain or Germany,” explains Jean-Philippe André. The cost of energy is what worries food manufacturers in the short term. “We are faced with a tsunami of costs in the food sector. I have in mind companies that are in the delicatessen sector where the cost of energy is 2.5 million in 2021, this cost goes to 6 million now and at 14 million next year”, details the president of Ania.
Prices have increased by almost 20% on pasta and couscous, with a 9% increase on crisps for example. “Over 60% for wheat and over 100% on eggs”, explains the manufacturer, responding that manufacturing costs explain this increase for consumers. Jean-Philippe André, who is also a leader of the Haribo group, believes that manufacturers must “turn to their customers” explaining that he must “pass the reality of the costs” because he “can’t keep producing if he loses money”. The “shelf increases”are “justified” according to him, “in the same way that the Smic has increased by 8%, which everyone finds normal”. So the increase “must be impacted at the consumer level”explains Jean-Philippe André.
With regard to state aid, he considers that “Bercy has so far set up a system for very small businesses”, and not necessarily intended for the large industrialists that he represents within Ania. He also judges that “the device is quite complicated, you have to have done Bac +14 to get by”he comments. “But you don’t always have to appeal to the state, adds the president of Ania. IWe have to ask ourselves if we can’t manage to regulate this situation ourselves”.