The cost of all food and drink sold at the top three supermarkets in the UK has increased by 5.9 per cent over the last year, figures have revealed.
The increase covers the rise in prices on all products sold at Asda, Tesco and Sainsbury’s in the year to September 10, according to the MySupermarket Food Inflation Index.
The survey also found that food bills for the average family have gone up by £1,040 in the last 12 months.
A basket of 24 common items costs 20 per cent more than it did 12 months ago, meaning consumers have seen the biggest price increases on meat, dairy and wheat based products.
However, the latest figures show the largest increases have been seen on garden peas and basmati rice, increasing by an average of 90 per cent and 111 per cent, respectively. The biggest decrease in cost has been on bananas.
The supermarket price survey shows six pints of semi-skimmed milk are now 26.1 per cent dearer - a rise from £1.68 to £2.12 - than a year ago. And the cost of a thick white loaf has gone up by more than 33 per cent, from 54p to 72p, at both Tesco and Asda, according to MySupermarket.co.uk. A packet of fusilli pasta is up 75.5 per cent from 45p to 79p, the survey found. Also in the basket of goods were cheese, free-range eggs, potatoes, bolognese sauce and cornflakes.
Johnny Stern, managing director of MySupermarket.co.uk, said: “Although the level of price hikes on the staples basket is at its lowest level since May 2008, price increases on these items are still a fifth higher than this time last year, with rice, meat, dairy and wheat-based products seeing enormous price rises.
“Our new MySupermarket Food Inflation Index gives us context for the staples basket, as it shows a year-on-year increase of all food and drink products found in all the online supermarkets.”
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