One in six worry they can’t feed their families

‘CUSTOMERS RELY ON US TO KEEP PRICES DOWN’

SHOPPERS are watching every penny as they feel the squeeze, Sainsbury’s chief Simon Roberts admitted.

Food prices are rising at their fastest rate in 42 years and Mr Roberts, boss of Britain’s second biggest retailer, said: “Customers are watching every pound. They are relying on us to keep food prices as low as we can.”

Sainsbury’s said sales climbed

4.4 per cent to £16.4billion in the six months to September.

But the supermarket giant also revealed a slump in profits as rising food costs hit its bottom line. The chain, which also owns Argos, said underlying pre-tax profits tanked by eight per cent to £340million compared to the same period last year.

But it said it was “well placed” for Christmas and is planning to take on 18,000 temporary staff.

Mr Roberts, above, said: “We will have invested more than £500million by March in keeping prices lower, meaning we have more firepower to battle inflation.”

Families continue to hunt for bargains with supermarkets embarking on a price war as they battle for custom.

The price of staples like pasta, tea bags, bread, pasta and cooking oils have rocketed, official data reveals.

Overall, the price of budget food has shot up by 17 per cent in the year to September, the Office for National Statistics said.

A SIXTH of people are not confident that they can afford to feed their families, a YouGov poll has indicated.

While three-quarters of the public (76 per cent) are confident they have the money they need for food, a third (34 per cent) are less sure now they can afford to feed their families than they were this time last year – including 11 per cent who admit to being “much” less confident.

Some 17 per cent fear they won’t be able to afford to feed their families, according to the survey of 1,717 adults that was compiled between October 7 and 9.

Just half of 18 to 24-year-olds (55 per cent) are confident they can afford the food they need, compared with 72 to 89 per cent of older age groups.While 87 per cent of those polled have never turned to a foodbank, more than a fifth (22 per cent) believe they are now more likely to need to use one than they were a year ago.

Of the nine per cent of people who say they have used a foodbank at some point, six in 10 visited within the last year – including 15 per cent in the week before the survey.

One in seven people (14 per cent) said they have had to borrow money in order to cover their regular food bills in the past year, the same poll indicates.

There is also a significant generation gap around foodbank use – 14 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds have been to one, compared with just three per cent of over-65s.

The survey comes days after the British Retail Consortium recorded that food inflation leapt to a record 11.6 per cent last month, while the Office for National Statistics said food and drink were 14.5 per cent dearer year-on-year.