Rising food prices worry 80% of UK consumers

Almost eight in 10 shoppers (78 per cent) in the UK are worried over the rising food costs, with almost half (45 per cent) spending a larger proportion of their available income on food compared to a year ago. 

According to a survey of 2,028 consumers for the consumer watchdog Which?, four in 10 UK consumers had reported sky rocketing food prices were a "source of stress", while a third said they were struggling to feed themselves or their family, according to a survey, SkyNews reported.

According to Chris Mould, executive chair of the Trussell Trust, a charity that provided support and sustenance for those in crisis, there had been a 200-per cent increase in the number of people who needed food banks in the first quarter of this financial year compared to last year.

He said, politicians needed to put consumers at the heart of their economic policies to tackle the rising cost of living and to support growth and prosperity.

The Office of National Statistics reported food prices had increased over and above general inflation by 12.6 per cent, while incomes had stagnated.

The survey found 60 per cent were worried about how they would manage their future grocery expenses with the rising prices.

According to a separate survey by the consumer watchdog, 1 million more households were feeling financial pressure as against a year ago, leaving 9.5 million households struggling to cope with the cost of living. The survey further found that around 40 per cent were likely to cut back spending on food in the next few months.

According to Richard Lloyd, Which? executive director, while people seemed to have accepted their grocery bill going up, stagnating incomes and rocketing food prices were causing stress and worry and leaving people wondering how they were going to cope. 

The Independent newspaper reported that over the last year, the price of food and drinks had risen by 3.9 per cent on average, with  incomes in the same period rising by only 2.1 per cent.

Three-quarters of consumers said their income had stayed the same or decreased in the last year. The upshot was that three in 10 people now struggled to feed themselves or their family.

Lloyd added, supermarkets needed to make it much easier for consumers to spot the best deal by ensuring pricing was simple, and making special offers genuinely good value for money.