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A look into how rising grocery prices, ultra-processed foods affect Orange County

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Carborro residents shop at the Carborro farmer's market Saturday, Feb. 9 2020.

While food prices are expected to increase at a slower rate than the 20 year national average in 2025, rising food prices in the past few years have increased food insecurity in Orange County. 

New data from the United States Department of Agriculture predicts food prices in 2025 to increase by 2.2 percent. But in Orange County, high grocery costs are already impacting the community. 

According to data from Feeding America, Orange County had a 12.3 percent food insecurity rate in 2022, with an average cost of $4.90 per meal. Households experiencing food insecurity for at least seven months per year reported a total budget shortfall of $16,577,000. 

“That's the amount that households reported they would have needed in order to purchase ‘just enough’ food to satisfy their needs,” Triangle Double Bucks Coordinator Hadassah Patterson said in an email. 

The Triangle Double Bucks Program doubles the buying power of SNAP/EBT and WIC recipients, which makes fresh food at farmer’s markets accessible, Patterson said.

“This means that the buying power of communities of color should be more than double in order to empower equity at mealtimes," she said. 

Patterson said the food insecurity rate among Black residents in Orange County increased from 21 percent in 2021 to 24 percent in 2022. Meanwhile, Latin residents experienced a food insecurity rate of 19 percent during the same period, she said. For respondents selecting "White, Non-Hispanic," the rate is only 10 percent in Orange County. 

Lindsey Smith Taillie, associate professor at UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, said there are many federal subsidies on common ingredients in ultra-processed foods like corn, soy and wheat, making the products more accessible for consumers and cheaper overall. 

However, Taillie said things like fresh produce and high quality meat that line the sides of many grocery stores are more expensive — similar to the rest of North Carolina and even the entire country. 

“This cycle starts to fold in on itself and people think in terms of foods that are most affordable and most accessible,” Patterson said. 

Professor of Nutrition at Gillings Alice Ammerman said there is good evidence that foods high in salt, sugar and poor-quality fats contribute to chronic disease.

“Saturated and hydrogenated fats and oils are much higher in processed and fast foods, which are cheaper and more accessible for lower-income residents to obtain,” Patterson said. “These fats clog arteries, cause circulation issues and heart disease, which also makes diabetes worse or plays havoc with it to the point of actual loss of limbs and life.” 

On average, according to the 2023 Orange County Health Assessment, Black residents die eight years earlier than those listed as white in Orange County. In the area, chronic diseases such as cancer and heart disease were among the leading causes of death. 

Taille said there have been increases in targeted marketing to Black and Hispanic populations, and the vast majority of this marketing is for ultra-processed foods that are high in nutrients of concern, like added sugar. 

“Ultra-refined flours and carbohydrates trigger diabetes or exacerbate it in those who can ill-afford rising medication costs,” Patterson said. “They are also often housed in places where exercise is not as accessible or feasible if they are adequately housed at all. There are compounding issues with the social determinants of health among these demographics.” 

Ammerman said Chapel Hill-Carrboro's chapter of PORCH, a grassroots organization dedicated to supporting hunger relief, and TABLE, a nonprofit dedicated to delivering healthy food to children experiencing food insecurity in Orange County, provide food and try to emphasize healthier options. 

Patterson said there is sometimes fear and shame associated with going to food pantries and kitchens, even though they are a much-needed resource. 

“It's much different when people feel the agency and empowerment of attaining fresh, healthy, organic and low-processed food themselves, and even being able to purchase plants to grow themselves,” she said. “The positive impact of such a program is exponential, due to the sheer pride and joy that people experience being able to care for themselves with freedom and choice.” 

@DTHCityState | city@dailytarheel.com

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