STORY: Half of food products in Spain become more expensive despite price caps: consumer group
DATELINE: Sept. 30, 2023
LENGTH: 00:01:41
LOCATION: Madrid
CATEGORY: ECONOMY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of markets and food chain in Spain
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Spanish): RUBEN SANCHEZ, Secretary-General of Facua-Consumers in Action
3. various of markets and food chain in Spain
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (Spanish): RUBEN SANCHEZ, Secretary-General of Facua-Consumers in Action

STORYLINE:

Almost half (48.9 percent) of the food products in Spain that are subject to the government's sales tax reduction measures became more expensive in September, according to Facua-Consumers in Action, one of Spain's main consumer associations.
   
After analyzing the prices of 962 food products in eight of the largest supermarket chains in Spain: Alcampo, Aldi, Carrefour, Dia, Eroski, Lidl, Hipercor and Mercadona, the association found that the prices of 470 products had gone up since the start of the inflation reduction measures at the beginning of the year.
   
Fruit and vegetable products saw the biggest increase (29.7 percent), followed by olive oil (20 percent), rice and pasta (14.4 percent), and milk and dairy products (14 percent).

SOUNDBITE 1 (Spanish): RUBEN SANCHEZ, Secretary-General of Facua-Consumers in Action
"If someone has increased profit margins, be they supermarkets, be they manufacturers or packagers, be they the producers, then that someone would be violating the conditions set by the legislation."
   
According to the association, the increase in food prices intensified from 6.7 percent in January to 30.8 percent in March, 43.8 percent in May, 47 percent in July and 48.9 percent in September.
   
SOUNDBITE 2 (Spanish): RUBEN SANCHEZ, Secretary-General of Facua-Consumers in Action
"The Ministry of Consumer Affairs has the power to intervene. We have filed complaints in recent weeks with the Ministry and in the next few days we are going to expand the number of complaints with the relative data from September."
   
The association also wants regional or state consumer authorities to look into the causes of price increases, including the pricing formulas applied by the distribution chains and their suppliers.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Madrid.
(XHTV)