Inflation rose by 7% in 2021, not seen since 1982. And in January, whose data are published Thursday, it could have accelerated further.

For meat, poultry, fish and eggs, the increase was even more spectacular, +12.5%.

The price of beef has soared: up to 23% depending on the cut.

On the shelves of the Giant in the Van Ness neighborhood where Lisa does her shopping, only ground beef remains affordable.

On the other hand, you have to pay up to 24.99 dollars per pound (21.85 euros for 453 grams) for a piece of quality beef.

In the butcher's section of a delicatessen in the Georgetown district, the equivalent is even sold for 37.99 dollars.

“I mainly buy chicken and sausages,” says Lisa, 48, mother of three teenagers, who only wanted to be identified by her first name.

Meat prices have soared "as a result of a combination of various factors," says Jayson Lusk, a professor at Purdue University in Indiana.

"Foreign buyers of U.S. meat, especially China, have shown strong demand, as have domestic consumers," he said.

The shelves of the Union Meat Company butcher shop in Eastern Market in Washington, February 8, 2022 Stefani Reynolds AFP

At the same time, he continues, wages in the meatpacking sector have increased by almost 20% since the start of the pandemic, with manufacturers facing a shortage of workers in their factories and in the transport sector.

Last year, Americans continued to eat beef with gusto thanks to government aid that boosted their savings and purchasing power.

But with savings dwindling, eating a steak is now out of the question for many low-income families.

Concern for Joe Biden

This week, Tyson Foods, the largest meat processor in the United States, justified these price increases by the fact that demand continues to exceed its production capacity, for lack of manpower.

He also highlighted increased salaries and benefits to recruit and retain staff.

Over the last three months of 2021, Tyson has thus recorded average price increases for beef of around 33% compared to the same period of 2020 and around 20% for chicken.

"When you're a family, it definitely has an impact," said Jay Smith, another Giant customer.

Although he lives alone, he himself has reduced his consumption of beef and is on the lookout for promotions.

"Mostly chicken" and "fried chicken".

The rise in beef prices worries even the White House, which refutes the idea that it is the only consequence of the pandemic.

President Joe Biden blames the lack of competition in the sector.

In this industry of some 213 billion, only four companies control 85% of beef processing and 54% of poultry, lamented in January the White House which promised to tackle this problem.

In particular, it has launched investigations to ensure that there is no agreement on prices.

In the meantime, restaurants are adapting, to the detriment of their customers.

harmed consumers

"Half of the establishments we surveyed in January have already reduced their cards and increased their prices," says Sean Jafar of Dataessential, which tracks some 5,000 cards.

On the side of fast food, most bosses are trying to keep prices low but have had to resolve to reduce the quantity, especially chicken, yet cheaper than beef.

At Domino's, the price of one of its flagship "chicken wings" menus thus remained at 7.99 dollars.

But, the box now has only 8 pieces instead of the usual 10 and is only available for sale online to reduce labor costs.

This price increase may be an opportunity to "eat healthier" by reducing meat consumption, says Jay Smith, Giant's customer.

For now, Americans remain among the biggest consumers of beef in the world.

They ate 59.1 pounds (26.81 kg) per person last year, after 58.4 pounds in 2020.

© 2022 AFP