The centre follows the prices of 73 common food items, and the data for 2012 shows that food costs are rising quicker than retail prices in general.
Researchers found that the basket of items cost on average 4.6 percent more in 2012 than in 2011. They discovered that the cost of sweets, ice cream and soft drinks rose sharply as a result of sales tax increases.
Differences between the cheapest available products and the most expensive equivalents were especially stark.
Those disciplined enough to seek out the cheapest possible option could get away with spending just 126 euros on the basket of 73 items, whereas shoppers opting for the dearest products could spend as much as 185 euros. The best deals were to be found in the larger supermarkets.
