UK supermarkets urged to consider voluntary price caps on essential foods

Retail sources rebuff government proposal as ‘unjustified’ and likely to push costs up across board UK supermarkets have been asked by the government to consider freezing the prices of some essential foodstuffs to protect the public from inflation fuelled by the Middle East conflict. They would be incentivised to make the move in exchange for the relaxation of some regulations such as easing restrictions on packaging and a possible postponing of changes to the rules around healthy food. Retailers rejected the plan, criticising its potential cost amid rising taxes, fuel and energy costs and arguing it could push up prices for shoppers overall. One supermarket executive called the idea “completely mad”. Another said: “This is an unnecessary, unwanted and unjustified intervention in the market.” The measure comes after the Scottish National party pledged to use its devolved public health powers to fix prices on 20 to 50 items such as bread, milk, cheese, eggs, rice and chicken because their rising cost was “impacting our nation’s nutrition”. Helen Dickinson, the chief executive of the British Retail Consortium trade body, which represents all the big supermarkets, said: “The UK has th