After holding steady for two years, food prices in the United States are rising once again, due to growing demand and tight supplies of wheat, corn and other key commodities.
That means American consumers are being hit with higher grocery bills at a time when gas prices are already starting to dent household budgets. On the bright side, economists say the recent spike in fuel prices isn't yet translating into higher costs at the supermarket.
67Email Print For the moment, food producers and retailers have been absorbing higher energy costs and have pledged not to pass them on.
Still, according to the U.S. government's Consumer Price Index, food prices in January rose 1.8% from the prior year, marking the fastest pace since 2009.
"We are already starting to see food inflation kick in," said Brian Todd, president of the Food Institute, a nonprofit research group in Elmwood Park, NJ.
A 16 oz. bag of potato chips, for example, sold for an average price of $4.79 nationwide, according to January CPI data. That's up 5 cents from the same month last year, and nearly $1.40 more than in 2001. Prices for bread, bacon, eggs and many other consumer staples were also significantly higher.
Coment:
I think that it would hit to other people that are poor.
And some persons would´t have to by more only one,
thing, and can cause a demand to other people.
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