After fuel, even the retail prices of bread and pasta have come to the attention of the Antitrust and the judiciary. In fact, Codacons filed a new complaint with the Competition Authority and 104 Public Prosecutors throughout Italy, asking to open investigations aimed at ascertaining any speculations that would be affecting the lists of consumer goods such as bread and pasta.
“While the prices of durum wheat and soft wheat are decreasing on international markets, the prices of derivative products are rising sharply”, underlines the president of the association, Carlo Rienzi. For example in Milan a kilo of pasta has gone from a average of € 1.28 last November to € 1.64, with an increase of + 28.1%. In Florence the average price rises from € 1.15 / kg in November to € 1.38 (+ 20%) Increases which, the Codacons underlines, occur despite the fact that the pasta is produced with durum wheat imported from Canada, the USA, Mexico or other parts of Europe, areas not affected by the conflict.
It is no better for bread, whose retail price lists are constantly rising, with prices exceeding 6 euros per kg in many cities. “To all this is added the psychosis effect – continues Rienzi – with numerous supermarkets and shops throughout Italy whose shelves of pasta and flour, but also oil and sugar, have been literally emptied and assaulted by consumers for fear of a rationing of supplies “.