For the first time in many months, the inflation picture in the egg, poultry and wider meat sectors has quietened down, with no notable monthly changes.
According to the latest inflation figures from the Office of National Statistics, food prices in general actually dropped fractionally between April and May.
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Over the month, the RPI (Retail Price Index*) for all foods fell from 316.5 to 316.1, a drop of 0.1%. Compared with a year earlier, by May the annual rate of food inflation had fallen back to 2.9%, after ending last year at 5.5%. This reflects the fact that food prices had still been rising steadily in the first half of 2025, whereas this year they have shown barely any increase since December.
Eggs and poultry have followed these trends. The average retail price of eggs fell by 0.4% between April and May, and have risen by only 1% overall since the start of this year.
Poultrymeat prices have gained a little from April to May, by just under 1%. Until then they had shown no net change since January, and are barely higher than a year ago.
Other proteins
Beef prices, which had been rising the most strongly, have also levelled off. Prices in May were 10% higher than a year earlier, whereas in January they were 25% higher.
Pork and bacon prices dropped slightly in May, while sheepmeat gained one per cent, compared with April.
These trends have prompted one industry figure, Tony Goodger from the Association of Independent Meat Suppliers (AIMS), to ask “is meat and poultry inflation behind us?”
Average prices
Working from more recent figures, he notes that last month (during June), average prices across the red meat and poultry sectors fell by 0.41%, with overall beef falling by 2.26%.
“With overall chicken inflation flat-lining over the month, and lamb (+0.97%) and pork (0.85%) just nudging up slightly, the 2.26% fall in beef prices shows that overall during June, the category’s inflation fell by 0.41%.”
“There has been considerable talk of consumers switching away from beef and lamb, and towards pork and poultry. Chicken is a somewhat mixed bag of ups and downs, with whole birds at +2.72%; drumsticks, wings and legs all seeing sub 0.5% increases; whilst the ever popular breast and thighs all saw marginal falls”.
“The coming two months will really provide a much clearer view as to whether meat and poultry price inflation is behind us; and then on into the autumn I would imagine that the supermarkets will be under pressure to keep all prices as competitive as possible ahead of the end-of-year Christmas period”.
*The RPI is based at 100 in January 1987.
