A few days before Easter, the food industry issued a reassuring statement about food supply. “We do not currently expect shortages of individual food items” said Olivier Kölsch, managing director of the Federal Association of the German Food Industry (BVE), to the “Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland” (Tuesday editions). “Manufacturer stocks are well filled”. He added that even if the war in Iran were to continue longer and disrupt supply chains, many raw materials from the Middle East could be replaced with imports from other regions.
Kölsch also warned that changing trade routes and a tighter supply have already increased purchase prices for numerous raw materials. Production costs, especially those related to higher energy and fuel prices, would rise further. “This already noticeably burdens food and beverage manufacturers in Germany” he explained. “Whether and to what extent these extra costs will ultimately be reflected in consumer prices is ultimately decided by the food retail sector, not the manufacturers”.
