Consumers feel the heat from rising food prices

Ethanol-driven demand for corn is just one of the causes.

By Kara McGuire, Star Tribune

Last update: June 02, 2007 – 2:26 PM

Rising gasoline prices have been getting all the attention, but the cost of another, more-important staple is actually rising even more: food.

In the past year, food prices have increased 3.7 percent and are on track to jump by as much as 7 percent by year's end. The current increase is more than double the 1.8 percent jump seen the year before, according to the consumer price index.