Spending more on groceries? Prices rise across the board during coronavirus pandemic

The cost of groceries keeps climbing during the pandemic, hitting virtually every aisle and shelf at the store, data show, from the breakfast, lunch and dinner staples, to the less in-demand and specialty items.

Anyone who’s been shopping in the last few months might have experienced some sticker shock while browsing. Meat and poultry prices jumped by 11% from February to June, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Beef and veal rose by nearly 25% in that time period, and the price for pork bumped up by roughly 9%.

Cereal lovers and fresh vegetable fans alike had to pay 4% more.

Egg prices increased by 10%, processed dairy products by about 3%, and milk stayed pretty much the same.

Even the cost of getting buzzed is slightly higher. Alcoholic beverages, including beer, wine and spirits, stepped up about 2%.

Juice, soft drinks and mineral water rose by a little over 5%, the BEA figures show.

COVID-19 has created unprecedented challenges for food producers and strain on supply chains, all of which can cause additional expenses, shortages and price increases.

Meat products have generally shot up the highest, and for good reason.

Some of the largest meat processing facilities in the country have been forced to shut down due to coronavirus outbreaks infecting dozens, or in some cases hundreds, of workers, McClatchy News reported. Incidents like these have seriously hindered production, even for industry giants like Tyson Foods.

Demand for groceries is also far higher than usual, with Americans going out less and eating home more.

In April, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported overall grocery prices spiked 2.6% from March, the biggest single-month increase the U.S. had seen since 1974.