According to a report published in Food Manufacture, the food and drink manufacturing sector has seen a fall in orders since the start of this year and with festive food prices set to soar in the weeks leading to Christmas, it could be a difficult season for the industry.

The turkey is already the dearest food on the traditional Christmas menu, but the cost per unit is set to rise even further, with the average price of a 12lb turkey increasing from £40 to £50 in just one year.

The Food & Drink Innovation Network reported that the rapidly expanding middle classes of China and India have had a big part to play in the price increase. Because there is a higher demand for meat, turkey feed costs have doubled since the same time last year and this has had a direct impact on the price of fresh meat.

With feed prices increasing substantially, it is inevitable that the price of meat will carry on rising. At times like this it is crucial that buyers dig deeper in to their supply chains to get the best deals on products to ensure that it isn’t the consumer who is left with an empty plate.