New figures have laid bare the rocketing prices of basic food items as inflation hits a 40-year high. The data, from the Office of National Statistics (ONS), shows the cost of vegetable oil has risen by a whopping 65.2%, while prices for pasta have soared by nearly 60%. Other notable increases include tea at 46%, as well as chips (38.7%) and bread (37.6%). However, a handful of items saw a slight price drop - orange juice by 9%, minced beef by 7%, sugar by 0.3% and rice by 0.2%. Consumer Price Index inflation currently stands 10.1%, the highest it’s been in four decades, with food and drinks prices rising 14.5% in the 12 months to September. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues to push up grocery costs thanks to shortages of vegetable oil, animal feed and fertiliser. Households already grappling with higher energy bills now face further struggles to foot their weekly shopping bill. Many of the items seeing the biggest increase are ‘budget’ essentials families rely on, such as baked beans, bread and rice. Here is the full list of the 30 food items that saw the biggest price increases over the past year, according to the ONS:
