The prices of staples such as pasta, tea and chips have surged in the UK in the past year, with cooking oil shooting up 65%, according to figures that highlight how poorer households are being hit disproportionately by the cost of living crisis.
The overall price of budget food items in supermarkets soared by 17% in the year to the end of September, according to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). This was nearly double the 9% annual increase measured in the 12 months to April.
