the essential
The recent increase in the price of butter as well as that of eggs in December could automatically inflate production prices for bakers. But professionals in the sector are trying to reassure consumers.
The surge in butter prices could well weigh on the cost of producing king cakes, but professionals in the sector want to be reassuring: consumers should not feel too heavy an impact. At the start of each year, some 60 million pancakes are sold in France, making this dessert a must-have of the season.
The price of butter, a key ingredient in pancakes, has exploded this year, going from 5,500 to more than 8,000 euros per tonne. An increase of around 40% in Rungis, according to the public establishment FranceAgriMer. “Butter represents half the weight of a frangipane pancake. Added to this are increases in wages and energy,” explains Paul Boivin, general director of the Federation of Bakery and Pastry Companies (FEB).
Butter is not the only ingredient that has seen its price increase
Butter is not the only ingredient to see its price soar. Eggs, affected by avian flu, have also seen their cost rise, going from 10 euros this summer to 14 euros per 100 units in December. This additional pressure requires artisans to closely monitor their accounts.
Bakers “could slightly increase their prices, of the order of 10 to 20 cents, or even 50 cents per share, or will not increase. But it will be wise”, assures Dominique Anract, president of the National Bakery Confederation.
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