AUSTIN, Minn.—Nearly six out of 10 Americans said they have had to cut back on the quantity or quality of food they buy because of increasing prices, according to the 2008 Hormel Hunger Survey, conducted by Hormel Foods Corporation. Most Americans (67 percent) said that food prices have increased a lot since last year, and six out of 10 Americans (61%) said that corn-based ethanol is at least partly responsible for higher food prices.
To help them cope with rising food costs, a majority of Americans have been forced to make adjustments in their food-buying habits. One in five (19%) say they have been forced to choose between buying food or gas. More than half of the 800 adults interviewed are taking multiple steps to reduce food costs, such as using coupons, buying more generic or store brands, eating at home more often, buying less expensive cuts of meat and buying more of less-expensive staples such as rice and potatoes.
