Average family food bill rises £20

The average family is now spending almost £20 a week more on food than they were a year ago, new figures revealed.

A basket of 24 common supermarket items such as tea bags and pasta sauce costs 19.1% more than it did 12 months ago, according to a survey.

The figure has increased from 15.5% last month - a 3.6% rise. Inflation is costing a family spending around £100 a week on groceries an extra £993 over a year, or £19.10 a week.

The supermarket price survey found Basmati rice is up more than 60% in 12 months from 90p for 1kg to £1.45.

Britain's biggest supplier, Tilda, has warned of a further rise of around 30% in the coming year.

A one litre bottle of pure corn oil costs £1.38, up from 68p in May last year and 89p just last month. Six pints of semi-skimmed milk are 28p more expensive - a rise from £1.68 to £1.96 - than a year ago at Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury's.

Customers are paying nearly 50% more for a dozen medium free-range eggs at the top three supermarkets, according to MySupermarket.co.uk - from £1.75 to £2.58 at all three.

Also in the basket of goods were cheese, potatoes, bolognese sauce and cornflakes.

Demand for basic agricultural goods has led to huge increases in global grain prices in recent months. Those costs then pass on down the food chain to meat and dairy products as farmers pay more to feed livestock.

Johnny Stern, managing director of MySupermarket.co.uk, said: "Once again we're seeing increases in the price of the average family's food basket, in particular wheat and dairy-based products."

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