Futures contracts on orange juice, live cattle, raw sugar and cocoa each hit their highs for the year this month. The higher prices add another layer of pain to consumers' wallets at a time when stubborn core inflation, excluding food and energy, stood at 4.3% in August. The juice futures market reached a record $3.50 per pound this month. Meat prices have been driven by shrinking U.S. cattle herds, continued beef demand, plus higher input costs for labor and fuel. Shoppers are bearing the brunt of the higher prices as the world's largest food companies try and pass along their rising input costs.

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Persons: Paul Caruso, It's, Darwei Kung, Kung, François, Xavier Roger, Grame David Pitkethly, Ben, Jerry's, Pitkethly, We've Organizations: Ancora, U.S, U.S . Department of Agriculture, Shoppers, Barclays Consumer Staples Conference, Barclays, Unilever Locations: Florida, Brazil, Mexico, India, Thailand