MILWAUKEE — Lesaffre Yeast Corp. and Red Star Yeast Co. on Dec. 18 announced it was raising prices for fresh and dry yeast as well as ingredient prices. The price changes, for the United States and Canada, go into effect Feb. 1.

Lesaffre said fresh cream yeast prices will go up 2c per lb, as is, and fresh compressed yeast prices will be raised 4c per lb. Dry instant, active and yeast for mix prices will go up 6c per lb. The increases will be applied to all yeast sales as well as to existing supply contracts as they expire.

Lesaffre said ingredient price increases will range between 5% and 10%, for products ranging from baking powder and Replacit milk powder to yeast-based RS 190 and Relax + YF.

“Increased cost for sugar substrate, coupled with strong market price increases in chemicals and processing ingredients, utilities and fuel expense create the need for the price adjustment,” Lesaffre said. “Grain market inflation and strong demand for agricultural chemicals which are employed in the yeast manufacturing process add to the processing cost increase.”

Lesaffre Yeast is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Lesaffre Group, and Red Star Yeast Co. L.L.C. is a joint venture of the Lesaffre Group and the Archer Daniels Midland Co.