National Restaurant Association Statement on the Impact of the Gulf Coast Oil Spill
The National Restaurant Association released the following statement today from Hudson Riehle, Senior Vice President of the Research and Knowledge Group:
"The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and its impact on the cost and availability of food arrives amidst a backdrop of already rising food costs for the restaurant industry. According to Bureau of Labor Statistics data, average wholesale food prices were up 7 percent in the 12 months ending March 2010, with individual commodities posting substantially higher gains: fresh vegetables (+85%), unprocessed fin fish (+48%), fresh fruits (+29%), pork (+19%), beef and veal (+11%), and dairy (+10%).
