By Lucia Allen
Amid rising food prices statewide, Northeastern students have not significantly altered their food buying habits, an informal survey by The News found.
Many prices of staple goods like milk and eggs have risen 26 percent and 40 percent, respectively, since last fall, according to the US Department of Labor.
However, some students said that although price is an important factor in deciding where and how they shop, the recent increase in food costs has not affected them.
“I generally shop as I always have,” Chris Lungu, a senior entrepreneurship and marketing major said, adding that he concentrates his shopping at Shaw’s and Stop ‘ Shop because it’s less expensive than other grocers.
Andrew Wesson, a sophomore sociology major, said he avoids Whole Foods, despite its convenient location close to campus.
“I shop more based on food prices. I buy stuff like Ramen, bread, Chef Boyardee and rice cakes. At home, I eat [differently],” Wesson said.
Wesson said at the beginning of the semester, when he had more money, he went to Whole Foods.
Though students may not be altering their shopping habits, price inflation is affecting their wallets.
“I have noticed an increase in food prices,” said Wollaston’s manager Bob Peredna. “The customers have noticed an increase as well, but people have generally continued to buy the same things.”
However price disparities among grocery stores do exist. The difference in cost for a gallon of Garelick milk is as much as 60 cents more at Wollaston’s than at Stop ‘ Shop.
“It’s tough being an independent. We don’t have the kind of buying power of larger groceries [to be able to afford buying] more products in bulk and sell them at lower prices. We only have these two stores on campus,” Peredna said.
At Stop ‘ Shop, the manager, who requested to have his name withheld, said he, too, has noticed a food price increase.
“[I’ve noticed the increase] in other places, more so than here,” he said. “There’s an increase in commodities, so it costs more to make products like cereal from grain, and plastic packaging [from petroleum]. It’s a two-fold effect. We still decrease prices through our pricing program to strengthen consumer value.”
John Kwoka, professor of economics, said two unprecedented factors have caused the food price increase: there has been a rising demand in China and India for food commodities that Americans are accustomed to acquiring cheaply, and demand for these things increases worldwide, which affects prices in the United States, he said.
The rising interest in ethanol has also contributed to the problem, he said.
“Encouraging ethanol processing [for alternative biofuel] has required a large amount of land to be made for corn processing, not for food,” Kwoka said.
Consequently, supply increases are not enough to meet demands, he said.
In the past, food prices rose and fell based on the harvest, Kwoka said. These were temporary effects, but the biofuel policy and the increasing and permenant demand from China and India, are effects that will not revert back. There is a permanent demand in the market and on food prices now, he said.
“There is also an increase in transportation costs,” said Kamran Dadkhah, an associate professor of economics. “Oil prices have gone up, and continue to go up, so transportation costs increase, and there is an upward effect on all prices.”
However, college students constantly face the challenge to eat healthy foods, and the price increase will not make it easier, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website.
Although many students may feel compelled to indulge in pizza and beer rather than fresh produce, legumes come with benefits. Healthy diets rich in fruits and vegetables may reduce the risk of cancer and chronic diseases, according to the CDC website. They also provide essential vitamins, minerals and fiber for good health.
Despite rising food prices often resulting in poor eating habits, it is still possible to develop new habits, any time, to stay strong and healthy, according to the CDC website.
