(STACKER) — Ongoing food supply-chain issues kicked off by the COVID-19 pandemic are still affecting the cost of groceries today.
The cost of groceries inflated about 0.3% from January to February, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Annually, the price is up about 10.2%.
During the initial lockdowns, food producers struggled with a manageable system that would allow them to serve consumers. Labor disruptions also increased food production costs as more funds had to be invested in training workers and protecting food from contamination. Food growers, processors, and distributors were required to adjust packaging, heed new labeling requirements, and meet heightened demand from food retailers.
The effects of these changes are still plaguing grocery store shoppers. So, which food items have seen the biggest uptick in pricing recently? Stacker used monthly Bureau of Labor Statistics data to find the grocery items that experienced the largest price increases in the Western region in February, using year-over-year changes as a tiebreaker where needed.
For this analysis, the West includes Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. Stacker excluded some hyper-specific meat categories in order to better understand grocery price fluctuations more broadly.
7. Whole chicken (per lb.)
- One-month increase in cost: +0.2%
- Annual change in cost: +9.7%
- February 2023 cost: $2.03
6. Chocolate chip cookies (per lb.)
- One-month increase in cost: +0.2%
- Annual change in cost: Not available
- February 2023 cost: $5.29
5. White bread (per lb.)
- One-month increase in cost: +1.6%
- Annual change in cost: +24.2%
- February 2023 cost: $2.22
4. Cheddar cheese, natural (per lb.)
- One-month increase in cost: +3%
- Annual change in cost: +3.7%
- February 2023 cost: $6.08
3. White potatoes (per lb.)
- One-month increase in cost: +3.5%
- Annual change in cost: +33.4%
- February 2023 cost: $1.03
2. Beef steaks (per lb.)
- One-month increase in cost: +4%
- Annual change in cost: -0.6%
- February 2023 cost: $11.12
1. Ground coffee (per lb.)
- One-month increase in cost: +4.6%
- Annual change in cost: +11.7%
- February 2023 cost: $6.78