UK food inflation hits record high in April

LONDON, May 2 (Xinhua) -- Food inflation in the United Kingdom (UK) rose to 15.7 percent in the year to April, up from 15.0 percent in March, reaching the highest in the food category on record, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) said on Tuesday.

Fresh food inflation also accelerated in April to a record 17.8 percent, up from 17.0 percent in March.

Food prices remained elevated in the country given the ongoing cost pressures throughout the supply chain, BRC Chief Executive Helen Dickinson said.

"The knock-on effect from increased production and packaging costs meant that ready meals became more expensive and coffee prices were also up due to the high cost of coffee beans, as well as key producer nations exporting less," she said.

According to the BRC, food price inflation has peaked. "We should start to see food prices come down in the coming months as the cut to wholesale prices and other cost pressures filter through," she said.

Britain has been in the grip of high inflation for more than a year. Households in the country have felt the squeeze amid a worsening cost-of-living crisis. Widespread strikes broke out in summer 2022 and are still underway in disputes over pay.