London, Europe Brief News – The prices of some budget food items have risen by more than 15%, according to new data, with pasta showing the steepest jump over a year.
The lowest cost version of pasta rose by 50% in the year to April, said the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Household staples such as minced beef, bread and rice also recorded large increases.
But the average price rise of 30 budget food items at supermarkets was 6.7% – below the rate of inflation.
The cost of living, or rate of inflation, rose by 9% in April, said the ONS.
Despite sharp increases in the price of some items such as pasta, the ONS analysis found that the cost of its basket of low-cost groceries increased at a similar rate to the general basket of groceries used for the official measure of food and drink inflation.
Earlier this year, anti-poverty campaigner Jack Monroe criticised large supermarkets for “stealthily” removing value food ranges from their shelves, forcing shoppers to “level up” to higher priced goods.
She criticised the way that the rate of inflation was calculated – which measures the prices of 700 goods – stating that it “grossly” underestimates “the true cost of living crisis”.
The price of chicken – the UK’s most popular meat – has risen sharply due to a number of factors. According to an analysis by the BBC, higher feed costs and soaring transport prices have contributed to the increase.
