Aldi and Lidl increase butter prices amid rising raw material costs

Butter prices at German discounters Aldi and Lidl have increased following a period of intense price competition. Aldi Nord and Süd have raised the price of their Milsani brand butter to 1.19 Euro per 250 grams, representing an increase of approximately 13 percent from the low prices seen in the spring.

Industry experts and the retailers attribute this rise to increasing raw material costs, specifically higher cream prices and a seasonal decrease in the fat content of raw milk. The lower fat content is a recurring phenomenon in the dairy industry during late summer due to weather conditions and changes in livestock feed.

In addition to price fluctuations, consumer testing organizations have issued differing evaluations of butter quality. While Stiftung Warentest gave many brands a ‘good’ rating, Öko-Test issued much harsher judgments, with seven out of twenty brands failing. Only one product, ‘Bio-Fassbutter der Gläsernen Molkerei’, received a ‘good’ rating from both testing organizations.