Meat boosts grocery bill in market basket survey

By Meatingplace Editors on 4/11/2013

Higher retail prices for sliced deli ham, boneless chicken breasts and ground chuck were among the items pushing up the total grocery bill at the start of 2013 in a market basket survey produced by the American Farm Bureau Federation.
The survey showed the total cost of 16 food items used to prepare meals was $51.54, up $1 or about 2 percent from the fourth quarter last year. Of the 16 items surveyed, 11 increased and five decreased in average price compared to the prior quarter.
“Meat prices rose a bit more than most other items in the first quarter, but for the basket as a whole, price changes have been fairly modest,” said John Anderson, the farm bureau’s deputy chief economist.
The bureau predicted food prices will rise by 3 percent to 4 percent in 2013, slightly above the average rate of inflation over the past 10 years.
Prices increased for the following items:
	•	deli ham, up 50 cents to $5.39 per pound.
	•	chicken breasts, up 22 cents to $3.32 per pound.
	•	ground chuck, up 19 cents to $3.74 per pound.
	•	sirloin tip roast, up 11 cents to $4.63 per pound.
	•	bacon, up 7 cents to $4.28 per pound.
	•	flour, up 25 cents to $2.62 for a 5-pound bag.
	•	shredded cheddar cheese, up 16 cents to $4.47 per pound.
	•	bagged salad, up 12 cents to $2.71 per pound.
	•	Russet potatoes, up 7 cents to $2.69 for a 5-pound bag.
	•	vegetable oil, up 6 cents to $2.92 for a 32-ounce bottle.
	•	apples, up 3 cents to $1.63 per pound.
Items showing modest retail price decreases were whole milk, white bread, orange juice, toasted oat cereal and eggs. A total of 86 shoppers in 24 states participated in the latest survey, conducted in March, the farm bureau said.