Food prices erupt to test the weak link in Europe’s inflation chain

Even as headline inflation eases, a big part of household spending, the weekly supermarket trip, is getting more and more expensive

For many governments, the challenge is figuring out how to protect consumers without distorting markets.

Europe’s battle with the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation is far from over, and food is the latest focal point.

Even as headline inflation starts to ease, the upward pressure on food prices remains firmly in place. That means a large chunk of household spending, the weekly supermarket trip, is rapidly getting more and more expensive. To take just one example, sugar surged to the highest in more than a decade last week.