DECO Proteste calculates that, in the period of about four months, between 17 April and 23 August, 41 of the 46 foods that make up the basket dropped from a total cost of 138.77 euros to 127.97 euros, corresponding to a difference of 10.80 euros.

Of the 63 products monitored by the Portuguese Consumer Protection Association, 41 have been exempt from VAT since April 18, which includes foods such as turkey, chicken, horse mackerel, hake, onion, potato, carrot, banana, apple, orange, rice, spaghetti, sugar, milk, cheese or butter.

So far, frozen food has been the category of food that most benefited from the Government's measure. This is followed by fish, whose price has dropped by 12.03% (less 4.19 euros), now costing 30.68 euros.

However, several foodstuffs increased in price between the eve of the entry into force of the “zero VAT” and the 23rd of August, with emphasis on oranges, which soared by 37% (or 51 cents), going from 1.37 euros to 1.88 euros. With a positive variation of 36%, broccoli currently costs 3.28 euros, 87 cents more than on April 17. In the opposite direction, the price of turkey steak decreased by 1%, or 9 cents, in the four months in which the measure was in force.