Warning to Halloween shoppers as two key ingredients skyrocket in price – check list of products to AVOID

SHOPPERS have been warned the rising costs of two ingredients will hike the price of chocolate this Halloween.

The ongoing cocoa crisis in West Africa and slump in sugar supplies means the cost of the key ingredients have soared.

Alamy

Shoppers are being warned to be smart when selecting sweets for trick or treaters[/caption]

Getty

Cocoa and sugar prices have soared this year[/caption]

As a result, chocolate prices have increased by more than 10% in the last three months.

The price of cocoa in London has skyrocketed by nearly 45% since the start of the year.

As of September, it sits at £5,302 per metric tonne, according to trade journal Confectionery News.

In April, it had reached a record high of £10,265.

Poor harvests caused by unusual weather means cocoa supplies in the likes of the Ivory Coast and Ghana – which produces approximately 60% of the world’s cocoa – remain tight.

Nidhi Jain, commodity specialist at The Smart Cube, told the trade journal it’s a “dramatic rise”.

“Looking ahead, these supply issues are highly likely to keep prices elevated in the run-up to Halloween,” she said.

The expert added that sugar prices are also expected to rise over the rest of 2024 “due to supply distributions”, particularly in Brazil and India.

“Given the volatile costs of these two commodities, there will be unavoidable affects on the consumer, with manufacturers considering price increases to confectionery products,” continued Jain.

“Higher prices for sweets and chocolates seem inevitable as commodity costs rise.”

SUPERMARKET HIKE

The price of chocolate has risen by 11% in the year to August, according to a study by the consumer group Which?

This is compared to other food and drink products which grew by 2.7% over the same period.

These hikes can be seen in supermarkets’ own brand ranges and from manufacturers such as Cadbury and Mars.

An Asda spokesman said the supermarket is “consistently recognised as the best-value traditional supermarket in independent price comparison surveys”.

While a Morrisons spokeswoman said the company was “working hard to keep prices down and competitive for our customers”.

Sainsbury’s said: “While prices can go up and down for a range of reasons, we’re committed to offering our customers great choice and value when they shop with us.”

SHOP AROUND

Ele Clark, retail editor at Which?, explained that to ensure you get the best value for money on your Halloween chocolate, “shop around and compare the price per gram across different pack sizes, retailers and brands.”

This is known as unit pricing and is an easier way for shoppers to compare similar items of different sizes.

You should be able to see the product’s unit price where its price tag is shown – it may be in small print.

It displays the cost of different products by weight, or volume and helps you easily compare the prices of products, regardless of their respective sizes.

For example, Tesco is charging £1.29 per 100g for a four-pack of Twirls.

However, the supermarket charges £1.10 per 100g if you snap it up using the Tesco Clubcard.