UK Shoppers Have Seen An Alarming Price Hike For Pasta

The cost of living has gone up around the globe in the last year due to rampant inflation that is at its highest point in 30 years, reports The Guardian. This has been brought on by a variety of economic hardships that have affected multiple sectors (via BBC). The BBC is reporting that many shoppers in the United Kingdom are now seeing massive increases on certain items in their grocery aisles. They say that even discount items are starting to see an increase as prices rise across the board. 

Grocery store brands like Tesco and Sainsbury claim that they are doing everything in their power to keep costs low. A Sainsbury spokesperson told the BBC that they understand the pressure these changes put on average shoppers. "We are doing all we can to help, and as part of our plans to focus on offering the best quality food at the lowest prices, today we announced we are investing £500m (over $624 million) so that customers will be able to find low prices on the everyday items they buy most often," said the spokesperson.

One food item that saw an enormous price increase last month was pasta. The UK's ​​Office for National Statistics notes that pasta, often considered a budget smart food item, saw a 50% price increase in April 2022 (via BBC). Chips, bread, rice, and minced beef also all saw price rises, though theirs were a more modest 15 to 17% increase.

The Times predicted similar increases in pasta and potato products would occur back in March after speaking with farmers, importers, and manufacturers about the impact of the war in Ukraine. The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has put a heavy strain on the global food supply. Russia is a major exporter of fuel and fertilizer which has raised input costs for many farmers (via CNBC News ). The two countries combined also produce roughly one third of the world's wheat supplies (via CNBC News). Even in pasta's motherland of Italy the costs have gone up due to the diminished wheat supplies (via The Local).

While these price increases may seem dire, there may soon be some relief on the horizon. Russia recently agreed to allow a safe naval corridor from some of Ukraine's black sea ports where much of their grain has been in storage since the war began in February (via CNBC News). This may help to increase the global supply of commodities like wheat, which is used to make pasta.