What the new cost and affordability data has revealed, says Masters, is the extent to which malnutrition is caused by low incomes available for food, after accounting for nonfood expenses.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), a low-cost food budget for a family of four runs about $261.10 per week — and that doesn’t factor in the higher cost of fresh ingredients.

Trump administration budget cuts have triggered alarm in the sprawling network of aid groups, many religious, that provide free or very low-cost food to millions of struggling Americans.

In addition to the hardship many families could face, the cuts to SNAP could lead to the loss of grocery stores in rural ...

Food price inflation varies by region, Ortega said, partly because of differences in retail operating costs like labor and rent, which are often passed on to consumers through higher prices.

Measuring affordability The team has found that the minimum cost of a healthy diet, using the cheapest locally available food options in each country, was generally between $3 and $4 per person in ...