The cost of food and drink has increased at its sharpest rate since 1980, with surges in the prices of many key items in the average household’s shopping basket.
The rise in the cost of groceries has been accelerated by the war in Ukraine, which has pushed up the cost of fertiliser and animal feed due to the impact on grain supply from the region.
Global meat prices have jumped as a result, while the knock-on effect on oil production in the regions has also hit the price of sunflower oil and other fats.
Food and drink prices have also been affected by the recent weakness in the pound, which has caused more expensive imported products and ingredients.
Karen Betts, chief executive of the Food and Drink Federation, said: “Food and drink manufacturers continue to do everything they can to keep product prices down, but huge rises in ingredient, raw material, energy and other costs mean they have no choice but to pass some price rises on.”
Today marks a grim milestone with food and drink price inflation hitting 14.6% in September, its highest recorded level since the 1980s. 📈
— Food and Drink Federation (@Foodanddrinkfed) October 19, 2022
The FDF's @KarenEBetts comments on the economic turbulence ⛈️
Read more here 👀: https://t.co/p8qm61V1fb pic.twitter.com/7gtY5683XS
As a result, more than two-thirds of shoppers are cutting back on fruit and veg purchases, according to new research from Meatless Farm.
The research found that nearly half of UK adults are struggling to eat healthy food, while a third of adults are shopping at cheaper supermarkets.
Furthermore, 80 per cent of adults are changing how they shop and eat, with 20 per cent switching to cheaper meat and 45 per cent swapping to frozen food.
Morten Toft Bech, Founder of Meatless Farm said: “Cutting down on fruit and veg and replacing this with carbohydrates and cheaper quality meat is not a viable option for the future of our nation’s health, and the findings in this study are concerning for both the nutrition of our nation and the environment.
“The cost-of-living crisis has presented a real red flag for the urgency for a food system that encourages a more balanced mix of affordable quality protein sources and plant-based food so that the nation’s health is not set back.”
How the cost of food has risen in the past year
The figures are based on the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) measure of inflation and have been published by the Office for National Statistics. In each case, the figure is the percentage change in the average price over the 12 months to September 2022.
