Prices in This Grocery Aisle Are Now 32% Higher Than Last Year
Nobody will be surprised by this fact: Prices will rise in 2022. It's been a difficult year for household finances in general,
but the financial strain brought on by inflation is most visible at food stores and supermarkets across the country.
Food prices are rising everywhere. For example, according to recent Consumer Price Index (CPI) data released last week, the price of coffee in
September 2022 was more than 15% more than in September 2021. Similarly, poultry costs have increased by more than 17% year on year.
Nonetheless, no staple has seen a greater year-over-year price increase than butter and margarine. According to the US Bureau of Labor
Statistics, the price of butter, margarine, and similar spreads increased by an amazing 32.2% between September 2021 and 2022. Individually, butter costs grew by 26.6%,
Butter, a mainstay in innumerable recipes and cuisines, is as necessary in the kitchen as a pan and a stove.
"All of the costs that go into producing a stick of butter, all of those costs have risen," said Matt Herrick, a spokesman for the International Dairy Foods Association.
On a broader scale, the CPI's "food at home" category, which includes all grocery prices, grew by 13% over the same period in 2021.
So, what's causing this tremendous rise in food prices, particularly for butter and margarine? There is no simple answer to that question.