WASHINGTON — Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings comes with a higher price tag this year. The American Farm Bureau Federation's informal price survey found that the retail price of the ingredients for a traditional Thanksgiving dinner went up about 13% from 2010.
A classic meal for ten averages $49.20, or $5 per person this year. The American Farm Bureau Federation defined a classic Thanksgiving dinner as one that includes 16 pound turkey, bread stuffing, sweet potatoes, buttered rolls, peas, cranberries, a tray of carrots and celery, pumpkin pie with whipped cream, coffee and milk.
Turkey led this year's meal price bump with an approximate 4% price increase.
This year’s 13% Thanksgiving meal jump follows a 1.3% increase in the classic meal price in 2010, and a 3.8% decrease in 2009.
The higher retail prices could signify that retailers are moving to pass along rising wholesale food price increases onto consumers.
"The era of grocers holding the line on retail food cost increases is basically over," John Anderson, senior economist at the American Farm Bureau, said in a prepared statement. "Retailers are being more aggressive about passing on higher costs for shipping, processing and storing food to consumers, although turkeys may still be featured in special sales and promotions close to Thanksgiving."
