JAPAN TODAY


 

The number of food and beverage items that will face price hikes in 2025 is projected to surpass 20,000 for the first time in two years, mainly due to high material and logistics costs, a credit research firm said Monday.

In July alone, 195 major food makers are planning price hikes for 2,105 items, such as seasoning and snacks, about a fivefold jump from a year earlier, according to a survey by Teikoku Databank Ltd.

Price hikes through November that have already been announced involve 18,697 items, with the company saying that the trend of rising prices of food and beverages is likely to continue "for the time being."

By category, seasoning, including broth and curry roux, will be mostly affected, with 6,108 items to see higher prices, followed by beverages including beers and soft drinks at 4,483 items and processed food including frozen meals and packaged precooked rice at 4,138.

In addition to a surge in raw material costs, the company said high utility costs and increasing personnel expenses due to labor shortage are also driving the price hikes.

Since crude oil prices have recently fluctuated amid tensions in the Middle East, the credit research firm said, "We need to keep an eye on price hikes derived from energy."

The number of food items that saw price hikes totaled 32,396 items in 2023 but dropped to 12,520 in 2024, according to the company.