Freezing Temps To Blame For Price Increases On Food
By: Stephen Crews
Updated: February 16, 2011
The cost of produce has doubled and tripled on things like peppers, onions, lettuce and tomatoes.
"Tomatoes, for instance, a week ago were at 99 cents a pound and now we're $1.99. It doubled in price," Crest Foods Produce Director, Arthur Webb, said.
Shopper Ashley Taylor, a new stay at home mother, has to watch her grocery bill.
Talking the aisles has turned into a balancing act.
"We like to be healthy, so I still want to buy produce. But it stinks the prices are so high," she said.
Kathryn Rigsby, another customer, has a limited budget and health issues. She needs healthy foods but sometimes has no choice.
"You do without a lot of times, without what you really want and need to eat," Rigsby said.
The higher prices will more than likely spill over into the other areas too.
"I would expect that a lot of restaurants will start having their servers ask customers if they want tomatoes with their sandwich, rather than just throwing them out there automatically on every dish," Assistant General Manager of Ben E. Keith Foods, Michael Powers, said.
According to experts, it will probably be between four to eight weeks before prices go down.
