Grocery bill climbing? These graphs show how the price of staple pantry items has risen

Yahoo News

With inflation across the U.S. hovering around 8%, the old advice to save money by eating at home may be more difficult than ever.

Many are feeling the pinch at the grocery store, where prices have risen steadily in recent months. 

The “food at home” consumer price index rose 11.9% in the last year, “the largest 12-month increase since the period ending April 1979,” according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

“The food categories with the largest increase in prices are cereal, meat, eggs and dairy,” said Alison Gustafson, Ph.D. and associate professor with the University of Kentucky’s Department of Nutrition and Food Science. “Given that the rise in corn has been very high and much of that corn goes to feed livestock, there has been a significant increase in meat and poultry.”

A number of factors are contributing to the increase in consumer groceries, Gustafson noted. That includes supply chain disruptions and lingering effects of the coronavirus pandemic, worker shortages, environmental conditions, the war in Ukraine and “to a lesser extent inflation.” It’s all led to prices at the store jumping between 14% and 16% from the prior year.

Kentucky is still in “relatively good shape compared to other states,” Gustafson wrote in an email to the Herald-Leader, but it’s time for consumers to be mindful of purchases.

“Given that Kentucky depends on other states for certain products and as mentioned there continues to be supply chain issues with certain food items, this is a critical time to change what and where we purchase our food,” she said.

Shopping from local producers and choosing in-season fruits and vegetables can help Kentucky’s farmers and perhaps ease the strain on shoppers’ wallets.

Still, consumers shouldn’t expect relief at the grocery store and will likely continue to shell out more for the remainder of the year, Gustafson said.

With inflation across the U.S. hovering around 8%, the old advice to save money by eating at home may be more difficult than ever.

Many are feeling the pinch at the grocery store, where prices have risen steadily in recent months.

The “food at home” consumer price index rose 11.9% in the last year, “the largest 12-month increase since the period ending April 1979,” according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

“The food categories with the largest increase in prices are cereal, meat, eggs and dairy,” said Alison Gustafson, Ph.D. and associate professor with the University of Kentucky’s Department of Nutrition and Food Science. “Given that the rise in corn has been very high and much of that corn goes to feed livestock, there has been a significant increase in meat and poultry.”

A number of factors are contributing to the increase in consumer groceries, Gustafson noted. That includes supply chain disruptions and lingering effects of the coronavirus pandemic, worker shortages, environmental conditions, the war in Ukraine and “to a lesser extent inflation.” It’s all led to prices at the store jumping between 14% and 16% from the prior year.

Kentucky is still in “relatively good shape compared to other states,” Gustafson wrote in an email to the Herald-Leader, but it’s time for consumers to be mindful of purchases.

“Given that Kentucky depends on other states for certain products and as mentioned there continues to be supply chain issues with certain food items, this is a critical time to change what and where we purchase our food,” she said.

Shopping from local producers and choosing in-season fruits and vegetables can help Kentucky’s farmers and perhaps ease the strain on shoppers’ wallets.

Still, consumers shouldn’t expect relief at the grocery store and will likely continue to shell out more for the remainder of the year, Gustafson said.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/grocery-bill-climbing-graphs-show-191901710.html

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