Fox’s Sandra Smith Claims a Gallon of Milk Costs Nearly $11 in NYC
Would you rather spend roughly $10 on a gallon of milk or a meal from KFC?
During a Fox News segment Friday morning, several personal anecdotes were shared about how the two anchors, Bill Hemmer and Sandra Smith, have seen high inflation manifest itself. Viewers learned Smith recently spent nearly $11 on a gallon of milk (likely unnecessarily so) and Hemmer indulges in KFC once a year.
The price conversation began after two guests departed after speaking about inflation’s impact on mortgage rates, which prompted Hemmer to say that “there are bigger issues out there, just like grocery prices.”
“I go to a Korean deli every morning, I buy hardboiled eggs,” he continued. “They [have been] 50 cents forever. You know what they went to this week, guys? 75 [cents]. That’s a 50% jump, that’s one small item and it was one small, little store.”
Smith then noted that Nestle plans to raise its prices again following a 5.2% price increase due to “cost inflation.”
“You have the egg-o-meter, I have the milk-o-meter,” Smith then said to Hemmer. “I bought a gallon of milk last night. Granted we live in New York, things are higher priced than in a lot of other areas in the country. It is nearly $11 for a gallon of milk at a New York grocery store.”
Smith’s comments prompted pushback on Twitter, as her $11 figure was foreseeable for select brands of organic milk, but far above the average cost per gallon in New York.
https://twitter.com/AshleyEsqueda/status/1517508173283815424
The highest priced gallon of milk found in a cursory search of grocery delivery services was a gallon of Organic Valley 1% pasteurized milk at Whole Foods for $10.69.
However, according to NYC Whole Food prices listed through Amazon, shoppers can instead opt for a $4.49 gallon of fat-free, 2%, or whole milk from Whole Foods’ 365 brand.
Prices from New York-area grocery stores that deliver through Instacart, similarly were far lower than $11. At ALDI, Friendly Farms 2% and whole milk go for $3.99 and 1% for $3.69. Gristedes, including D’Agostino Supermarkets which it owns, sell a gallon of both 2% and whole Tuscan brand milk for $4.99, according to Instacart.
Inflation has, in fact, hit milk prices, though not to the extent Smith seemed to imply. According to a March report from USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service, the average price for a gallon of milk in NYC rose from $4.60 at the beginning of the year to $4.69 in March — that’s up from the average of $3.70 at the beginning of 2019, but still markedly lower than $11.
Hemmer did not question Smith’s price point nor shared his experience buying milk recently, but did lament the rising cost at KFC.
“I went to KFC this week,” he said, adding that he goes once a year. “I get the same thing every time, alright: three pieces of chicken dark meat, original recipe, biscuit.”
“It’s always $6.71,” he said. “This year, it’s $9.50. And you folks know that you’re paying more already.”
KFC prices have indeed risen, with the large India-based franchisee Sapphire Foods increasing prices up to 10%. A viral TikTok highlighted the price increases, but a spokesperson said “the menu here is not reflective of pricing across the U.S.” but noted that inflation and supply chain costs have caused costs to rise at some locations.
Watch above, via Fox News
