FOOD prices are on track to be 50 per cent higher by November compared to levels at the start of the cost-of-living crisis in mid-2021, research has found.

Announcing the “grim milestone,” the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) think tank said today that a combination of extreme weather driven by climate change, global supply disruptions and exposure to volatile oil and gas markets had compounded pressures.

The cost of staples, including pasta, eggs and beef, is up between 50 and 64 per cent, while olive oil is up 113 per cent.

Food Foundation executive director Anna Taylor said: “Food prices rising this high and this fast leaves families on the lowest incomes with nowhere left to cut except the food on their plate.

“The question for government isn’t just how to respond to this crisis — it’s whether we’re finally going to build a food system resilient enough to withstand the next one.”