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Inflation was a minimal factor in the increased cost of groceries, according to the USDA.

The USDA also estimated a 6 to 9% increase in farm-level soybean prices, commonly found in many plant-based meat substitutes, and a 5 to 8% increase in farm-level wheat, a pantry staple ingredient in products like pasta and cereal.

\"PHOTO:
Bloomberg via Getty Images, FILE
PHOTO: A customer wearing gloves shops at a Stew Leonard's supermarket in Paramus, N.J., May 12, 2020.
>

From December 2020 to January 2021, prices for farm-level fruits, including citrus, apples and strawberries, rose 11.3%.

Despite the steady increases, the USDA also noted that \"uncertainty about the effect of the pandemic on food prices remains largely unresolved.\"

The 2021 CPI forecast also expects a return to pre-pandemic rates of inflation.

\"Inflation for all food categories is expected to be at or below their 20-year historical averages except for nonalcoholic beverages and other foods,\" the findings stated.

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