Basic food prices 'up by 14pc'

The cost of staple food items has jumped by more than 14 per cent during the past year, research showed today.

A basket of essential goods, such as bread, milk, rice, cheese, mince meat and fruit and vegetables, cost 14.3 per cent more on 7 October than it did on the same day last year, according to website mySupermarket.co.uk .

The site said the increase, which is nearly three times higher than the official rate of inflation, meant a family of four who had previously spent £100 a week on food, would face price rises of £743.60 a year.

Johnny Stern, director of mySupermarket.co.uk, said: "Shoppers are now paying 14.3 per cent more for their staple basket items than last October, a large increase.

"However, we are starting to see some good news. This is the smallest year-on-year increase we have seen since March 2008."

He added that another index run by the group which measures the price of every item of food and drink for sale at Asda, Sainsbury's and Tesco had recorded a rise of just 3.6 per cent during the past year, below the official rate of inflation which reached 5.2 per cent in September.

Mr Stern said: "This figure can be attributed to the increase in special offers, the introduction of new, cheaper brands by the supermarkets and a fall in the price of some key commodities. Coffee, sugar and grain prices are finally falling."

The group's research showed that the cost of a basket of staple goods had increased most at Sainsbury's during the past year, with prices soaring by 19.3 per cent at the supermarket, while in Tesco they were 13.3 per cent more expensive and in Asda they cost 11.2 per cent more.

Basmati rice has seen the biggest price jump of between 93 per cent and 119 per cent across the three supermarkets, followed by frozen peas, which are now 85 per cent more expensive at Sainsbury's and 63 per cent more expensive at Asda, although the price has actually fallen at Tesco.

The cost of fusilli pasta has soared by up to 76 per cent, while minced beef costs up to 57 per cent more.

The price of bread, eggs, cheese and tea bags have all also seen steep price increases during the past year.

But the cost of some items has actually fallen during the period, with bananas costing 9% less than they did a year ago, while Silver Spoon sugar and Dolmio pasta sauce is also cheaper.