Food basket prices in Hastings and Prince Edward County continue to rise
BELLEVILLE – The cost of a nutritious food basket has gone up by 13 per cent over the past five years in Hastings and Prince Edward counties, according to the area’s public health unit.
It now costs a family of four $1,397 more a year than it did five years ago in Hastings and Prince Edward counties.
The weekly cost for one of these baskets as $204.89 in 2016 said Jillian Gumbley, a program manager for health promotion at Hastings-Prince Edward Public Health.
Dietitians find the lowest price for 67 food items that make up the basket. These items are required to meet the recommendations from Canada’s Food Guide.
Parents who are unable to provide healthy food alternatives for their families leave them at risk of developing health problems, she said.
This is called food insecurity. It can affect anyone said Gumbley. However the majority of households that suffer from food insecurity are those that are on social assistance, a report from Hastings Prince Edward Public Health showed.
Public health will be looking into ways to address this issue in the near future.
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