[Anchor]

Prices of everyday food items, ranging from ramen and snacks to bread, continue to rise. Food companies maintain that they can no longer hold out as long-term high oil prices and high exchange rates have led to soaring costs for raw materials and packaging.

Reporter Chae Heesun has the details.

[Reporter]

Nongshim announced that starting on the 1st of next month, it will raise the factory prices of 43 product lines, including major cup noodles, snacks, and beverages, by an average of 5.8%.

Based on retail store prices, Saewookkang (Shrimp Crackers) and Yukgaejang Cup Noodle are expected to increase by 100 won each, bringing them to 1,600 won and 1,200 won, respectively.

This price hike for Saewookkang, the top-selling product in the domestic snack market, comes 3 years and 11 months.

Nongshim explained that a price adjustment was inevitable due to soaring cost pressures, but noted that bag noodles such as Shin Ramyun were excluded from the price hikes.

[Nongshim Employee: Due to the aftermath of high exchange rates and high oil prices, the prices of materials such as packaging have surged, intensifying cost pressures. Domestic profitability has deteriorated further due to supplier price hikes stemming from the recent situation in the Middle East.]

Dunkin also cited rising costs to raise the prices of 39 donut varieties by an average of 6.5% starting on the 2nd of next month, and Tous les Jours will increase the retail prices of its bread and cakes starting late this month.

Previously, CJ CheilJedang also raised the prices of major items such as Hetbahn, dumplings, and grilled fish by an average of 8%, while Lotte Chilsung Beverage and Ottogi also raised prices across their major product lines.

The consumer price inflation rate has exceeded 3% for two consecutive months.

With dining-out costs also skyrocketing, the successive increases in grocery prices inevitably amplify the burden felt by consumers.

[Lee Dong-hyun / Yangcheon-gu, Seoul: I definitely feel it a lot. The items I always buy are the same, but every time I come, the price keeps going up....]

The government stated that to stabilize dining table prices, it will expand the supply of items such as eggs and mackerel, and hold large-scale discount events targeting all agricultural, livestock, and fishery products.

(Video Editing: Park Ji-in, Design: Seo Seung-hyun, VJ: Jeong Han-wuk)