Why are some food prices up and others down? Here are the stories of 5 items

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Ever since the pandemic, grocery prices have been out of whack.

COVID-related lockdowns forced people to eat at home more often, and in April 2020 grocery prices took their biggest leap in decades, increasing 2.6% from the month earlier.

Then, in 2022, food prices began another upward swing as Americans with cash on hand returned to stores in large numbers and retailers struggled to meet the pent-up demand. The food system faced other shocks that year, including a severe avian flu outbreak and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Grocery prices rose 11.4% in 2022 alone.