A Cabinet minister suggested shoppers could choose value brands to help cope with rising food prices.
Environment Secretary George Eustice told Sky News that rising fertiliser and feed costs had hit the farming industry, partly as a result of soaring energy prices. He went on to highlight the "better news" - that there is a "very, very competitive retail market with 10 big supermarkets and the four main ones competing very aggressively."
He added: "Particularly on some of the lower-cost, everyday value items for households, so things like spaghetti and ambient products – there’s a lot of competition to keep those prices down." Mr Eustice acknowledged that the increased costs do get passed on "through the system" to items like "chicken and poultry, and some fresh produce."
