Prices for some supermarket staples have risen by up to 175%, a survey of 21,000 food and drink products has found.

How much items cost at eight major supermarkets has been tracked by consumer group Which? – revealing the very real pressures household budgets have been put under by rising inflation.

Between June 2021 and June this year prices- on average – have gone up by more than a quarter across the board.

However some individual products have recorded record rises during the last two years. These include:

Mr Kipling Bakewell Cake Slices at Sainsbury’s which went from £1 to £2.75 on average

British Pork Loin Steaks (4 x 480g) at Sainsbury’s rising from £1.94 to £4.28

Six Mr Kipling Chocolate Slices at Tesco going from £1 to £2.59

Morrisons, own-label Mozzarella (125g) changing from 49p to £1.19

Morrisons, own-brand Free From Gluten Free Oats 1kg increasing from £1.20 to £2.75 on average

Asda Special Flakes rose from 62p to £1.50 on average

Lidl’s Chene D’argent French Brie 200g went from 79p to £1.85

Food prices have been impacted heavily by the cost of feed, fertiliser and fuel as well as energy and labour costs. Poor harvests as a result of the weather, the consequences of bird flu and a weaker pound have also all compounded the issue, says Which?

And while many supermarkets have recently brought down the prices of some everyday essentials such as milk and bread – higher costs for even the most basic items remain an ongoing issue.

Tracking shows that despite decreases in recent months, own-label British Semi-Skimmed Milk was last week £1.45 for four pints across almost all supermarkets – 25% more than it was two years ago.

The same for sliced bread – where an own-brand Medium Sliced Wholemeal loaf has gone up by a third in two years rising from 58p to 75p on average.

Sue Davies, Which? Head of Food Policy, said: “Our research exposes the shocking true scale of food price inflation at supermarkets since the cost of living crisis began and shows why recent headline-grabbing price cuts of a few pence on some products are encouraging, but simply won’t be enough to help people struggling to put food on the table.”

In response to concerns about the scale of escalating food prices the Competition and Markets Authority has been looking at competition between supermarkets such as Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Tesco alongside discounters Aldi and Lidl.

The review has focused on the extent to which rivalry between retailers ensures they keep prices as low as possible and whether consumers can shop around for the best deals.

Although food price inflation is at historically high levels – acknowledges the report released on Thursday - evidence collected by the CMA suggests it’s not competition issues between supermarkets driving it.

Operating profits in the retail grocery sector in fact fell by 41.5% in 2022/23. Consumers are shopping around to get the best deals, confirmed the CMA, demonstrated by Aldi and Lidl gaining a share of the market from competitors which suggests shops are somewhat restricted in their ability to raise prices without losing customers.

However supermarkets have been told to ensure pricing is clear – particularly when it comes to unit costs – in order to help customers compare items and weigh up the best deal.

Sarah Cardell, CEO of the CMA said: “With so many people struggling to feed their families, it’s vital that we do everything we can to make sure people find the best prices easily. We’ve found that not all retailers are displaying prices as clearly as they should which could be hampering people’s ability to compare product prices.”