The cost of some of the most popular branded food items in the UK, such as Heinz tomato ketchup and Dolmio Lasagne sauce, have soared in the last two years, outpacing inflation.
According to new research by the consumer group Which?, many of these items have more than doubled in price.
The company looked at the cost of 79 branded items at six supermarkets—Asda, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose—today, versus their cost in Fall 2020.
Heinz Tomato Ketchup saw the biggest average percentage increase, with its 460g top-down version up by an average of 53% (or 91p/$1.08), and Dolmio Lasagne Sauce (470g) saw the second-biggest, up 61p in two years.
Branded butter appears to have been hit hard, too, despite it being an everyday food item. A 500g tub of Anchor Spreadable was up by £1.31 ($1.57) and a 500g tub of Lurpak Spreadable Slightly Salted was up by £1.17 ($1.40) over the two-year period.
Many prices across the board were even worse. At one retailer, Heinz’s ketcuhup rose by a whopping 70%—an increase of £1.06 ($1.27).
Twinings Everyday 100 Tea Bags saw the biggest individual increase at one shop, up by £2.33 ($2.68), or 64%.
The research looked at the cost of items in Tesco, Asda and more (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)
The consumer group’s findings suggest that the price of some of Britain’s favourite branded products might be rising more quickly than the overall cost of living, which is going up at its fastest rate in 40 years.
“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,” says Sue Davies, head of food policy at Which?.
“Supermarkets must ensure budget lines for healthy and affordable essential items are widely available across their stores including smaller convenience stores.”
Inflation, which measures how the cost of living changes over time, currently stands at 10.1%.