Food inflation is slowly pushing CSUDH students out of the campus dining area. Photo by Matt Hoffman on Unsplash.
By Efren Gutierrez, Staff Writer
Food inflation has affected everyone in Los Angeles County. One of the biggest groups that have been affected are college students, especially as the majority of them attend school full-time and have no source of income. According to the organization of Consumer Price Index (CPI), CPI is in charge of adjusting the values of the currency. CPI adjusts the dollar value on the change of the consumer’s income, however, it has drastically changed at the beginning of 2022. The federal government announced that food inflation increased to 8.5%.
According to CBS, food prices are the highest it’s been in 40 years, and, compared to a year ago, beef and pork went up 14% to 20%.
California State University, Dominguez Hills students, and other college students are being affected by this issue. “First the gas prices, and now food inflation? This sh*t is expensive, I can’t afford to buy food every day, I’ll go broke,” Anthony Gomez, a freshman, said.
.Gomez is an example of many other students who are unemployed and have a difficult time adjusting to the increase in food prices, which directly affects the ability to afford groceries and lunch.
“After class, I usually go to In-N-Out or Wingstop, but now I have to think about saving money or wasting it,” Gomez said.
Fast food restaurants aren’t as affordable as they used to be, as many are increasing their menu prices. McDonald’s is an example of food inflation, as they have now raised their prices on soda that, for many years, only cost a dollar. Another fast-food favorite, Taco Bell, has changed its menu, adding the grilled cheese burrito and wings that are priced at $5.99, while removing the cheaper menu the restaurant previously had, according to Business Insider,
According to the Testing Table, the cost of food in the U.S. has increased by 7.9% between February 2021 through February 2022. This increase in food prices is expected to continue, as mentioned in Trading Economics. Although the CPI’s adjustment of food price value has not always been as drastic as today, it began to quicken between the 1970s and the 2000s.
Food inflation, along with other economic factors (tax increases, gas prices, interest rates), has brought attention to many students. CSUDH dining restaurants have also increased their food prices, such as Cafe Toro and Toro Fresh. The implementation of increased food menu prices on campus has caused people to wonder, What will they do now? Spend less money or eat less? Students, like Gomez, didn’t mind paying a few dollars more, but, now that expenses have increased, students are struggling financially.
Quickly, this issue has been picked up by students and faculty. Leslie Garcia, who works on campus, has noticed an increase in how much she is spending on lunch while on campus. . “I bring my own lunch, but not all the time. I buy coffee every morning, but with these food expenses, I probably will limit my spending.”
Food inflation has reached the point where students have to decide whether or not to eat while on campus. Because the increase of food prices doesn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon, students are left asking the question, What will they do to survive this inflation?
