Supermarket prices jump 4.6% in January, Stats Can says

While the price of beef is going down,there's been a sharp jump in the cost of fresh fruits and vegetables.

According to the latest consumer price index from Statistics Canada, supermarket prices climbed 4.6 per cent in January, compared to the same month a year ago.

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Across the country, fresh fruits and vegetables are up by about 15 per centoverall.

Mount Royal UniversityeconomistHalia Valladares Montemayorsaid while overall inflation is perhaps not a cause for concern, it's the inflation in specific areas that will alarm consumers.

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"Many people also right now are unemployed, and they keep eating, obviously, so they need to consider better what they consume and maybe buy different products," said Valladares Montemayor.

"People cannot buy with the same salary, the products that they used to."

Apples are up 17 per cent, onions up 19 per cent, andit'll cost28 per centmoreif you want grapefruit.

Theprice of imports is increasing thanks to the weakening Canadian dollar.

"It gets to a point where the supplier, like Sobeys, Superstore, cannot absorb those costs and they start transferring those costs to the consumer," said Valladares Montemayor.

She said consumers may want to consider consuming importedproducts less often.