Warning to anybody in UK who eats rooster, beef, lamb or pork
Grocery shoppers are being urged to ‘stay adaptable’
Expert has issued a warning to meat-eaters(Image: cagkansayin via Getty Images)
An expert has issued a warning to meat-eaters across the UK, as people may not be able to consume as much as the year progresses. Food pricing specialist Oisin Hanrahan, who heads up Tesco-backed supply chain platform Keychain as chief executive and founder, said he wouldn’t be surprised if the cost of certain meat items rises by as much as 20% in 2026.
His comments come amid fears consumer appetite for protein among those taking weight-loss jabs could fuel the surge in the cost of certain meats this year. Mr Hanrahan has highlighted how various pressures including global uncertainty and soaring energy costs are pushing up meat prices for shoppers.
However, he pointed out that escalating demand is also playing a part, currently fuelled by growing awareness of the vital role nutrient-packed protein plays for individuals consuming smaller meals due to the impact of GLP-1 medication, commonly known as weight-loss jabs.
Mr Hanrahan said: “It wouldn’t surprise me if there was, say, 10-20% on certain meat items over the year. The 2-5% range is the hope.
“All input prices for meat production have gone up. But increasing demand is also increasing price, and all those on GLP-1 medications know they need nutrient-dense, high-quality protein – and that is your beef, lamb, chicken and pork.”
Data from analysts Worldpanel reveals inflation on fresh meat hit 14.5% for the four-week period ending December 2. Mr Hanrahan said chocolate, coffee, beef, butter and fruit were among other products that had seen the most “eye-watering” rises over recent months, all contributing to a rate of food price inflation that had remained “stubbornly and unacceptably high”.
He explained: “It’s the result of a perfect storm of factors: crop diseases, bad weather, over-reliance on individual countries, tariffs, new packaging rules and other trade complexities. The longer these prices remain high, the more experts and economists are beginning to ask a concerning question – is this the new normal? Will prices return to reasonable levels or have they become stuck?
“The answer is that it needn’t be. We shouldn’t view high food prices as an inevitability, but nor should we view them coming down as one.”
Mr Hanrahan encouraged shoppers to stay adaptable whilst browsing for groceries, suggesting they remain open to purchasing discounted meat and other bargains instead of sticking rigidly to predetermined shopping lists.
He continued: “We can’t be lethargic, waiting for food prices to come down on their own. The factors causing them to remain high are here to stay.”
