Average inflation for food and beverage companies reached 7.9% year over year in March, up sharply from 4.2% in February, with tomatoes recording the largest increase.
Food inflation in the United States accelerated in March, with average inflation for food and beverage companies rising 7.9% year over year. That marked the biggest increase in at least 12 months and represented a 373-basis-point jump from February’s 4.2% pace. Tomatoes saw the steepest increase, with prices up 102% from a year earlier. Rising food prices are closely watched by markets because they can feed into broader consumer inflation and affect household spending trends.