A new survey has found that more and more British people are concerned about the increasing cost of food, as the rising prices put growing pressures on already squeezed consumers.
The consumer group Which? released the survey report on Sunday saying that about eight in 10 shoppers, or 78 percent, were concerned about the increasing cost of food.
Yet 77 percent of people surveyed said their household income has stayed the same or decreased in the same period.
Food prices have risen in real terms by 12 percent over the last five years.
If the price of food continues to increase, the survey of 2,028 people revealed that six in 10 said they were concerned about how they will manage their future spending; four in 10 said the cost of food is a source of stress; and three in 10 said they were struggling to feed themselves or their family because of costs.
"While people seem to have accepted their grocery bill going up, stagnating incomes and rocketing food prices are causing stress and worry and leaving people wondering how they are going to cope," said Richard Lloyd, Which? executive director.
"Supermarkets need to make it much easier for consumers to spot the best deal by ensuring pricing is simple and making special offers good value for money. Politicians need to put consumers at the heart of their economic policies to tackle the rising cost of living and fuel growth and prosperity," he said.
According to the survey, nearly half of shoppers said they were spending a larger proportion of their income on food compared to 12 months ago.
The average weekly household grocery bill is 60 pounds; and it is 80 pounds for a family of four. Two-thirds of people say this has increased in the past year, blaming rising food prices.
Shoppers are most aware of staples, such as meat, fresh vegetables and bread, increasing in price, showed the survey.
The consumer group Which? released the survey report on Sunday saying that about eight in 10 shoppers, or 78 percent, were concerned about the increasing cost of food.
Yet 77 percent of people surveyed said their household income has stayed the same or decreased in the same period.
Food prices have risen in real terms by 12 percent over the last five years.
If the price of food continues to increase, the survey of 2,028 people revealed that six in 10 said they were concerned about how they will manage their future spending; four in 10 said the cost of food is a source of stress; and three in 10 said they were struggling to feed themselves or their family because of costs.
"While people seem to have accepted their grocery bill going up, stagnating incomes and rocketing food prices are causing stress and worry and leaving people wondering how they are going to cope," said Richard Lloyd, Which? executive director.
"Supermarkets need to make it much easier for consumers to spot the best deal by ensuring pricing is simple and making special offers good value for money. Politicians need to put consumers at the heart of their economic policies to tackle the rising cost of living and fuel growth and prosperity," he said.
According to the survey, nearly half of shoppers said they were spending a larger proportion of their income on food compared to 12 months ago.
The average weekly household grocery bill is 60 pounds; and it is 80 pounds for a family of four. Two-thirds of people say this has increased in the past year, blaming rising food prices.
Shoppers are most aware of staples, such as meat, fresh vegetables and bread, increasing in price, showed the survey.
