SHOPPERS are now paying double than they were two years ago for some big name food brands as food giants raise their costs above inflation.
Heinz’s tomato ketchup has jumped by 53 per cent, or 91p, in the last two years according to a Which? analysis of 79 popular branded items across Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Morrisons, Waitrose and Ocado.
The second biggest food brand increase was Dolmio’s Lasagne Sauce, made by Mars Foods, which is 47 per cent or 61p, more expensive than two years ago although one supermarket had hiked the price by 107 per cent.
Heinz’s chicken soup was another big riser at 36 per cent, or 44p, more to almost £1.50 per can.
Even basic foods such as student staple, Batchelors Super Noodles BBQ Beef Flavour, made by Premier Foods, went up an average of 43 per cent across the six supermarkets, according to Which?’s analysis, from an average 59p to 82p.
And a box of 100 Twinings tea bags cost an extra £2.33 than they did in 2020 while Anchor Spreadable butter is now £1.31 more expensive than it was two years ago.
The huge price increases show how the cost of goods is rocketing in some areas more than others.
Grocery inflation has hit a record 14.7 per cent last month, meaning annual grocery bills are £682 more expensive than a year ago if shoppers put the same items in their baskets, according to Kantar.
Supermarkets have said that more shoppers are trading down to their own-brand versions to save money in the cost of living crisis, with own label sales rising by 10 per cent in the past month.
Discounters Aldi and Lidl have also benefited from more shoppers switching to their cheaper range of groceries. Because they mainly sell copycats of well-known brands they were not included in Which?’s survey.
Earlier this year Tesco went to war with Heinz after accusing the food producer of increasing its prices by an unreasonable amount.
The two sides called a truce after a fortnight of negotiations in July and all Heinz products are available to buy again, and often on multi-buy promotion.
Sue Davies, Which? Head of Food Policy, said: “Our research shows the shocking rate of inflation on some of the nation’s favourite branded foods, which is much higher than the national average and highlights why it is so important for retailers to provide people with a choice of product ranges.
“Supermarkets must ensure budget lines for healthy and affordable essential items are widely available across their stores including smaller convenience stores.
“Promotions should be targeted at those most in need and people supported so they can easily compare the price of products to get the best value.”
