Food has become more expensive as producers push their rising energy costs on to consumers - and value items may help cut costs.
Earlier this week, Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary George Eustice said choosing value brands would help shoppers "manage their household budget" - comments shadow Treasury minister Pat McFadden described as "woefully out of touch".
UK households had the lowest food expenditure in Europe, Mr Eustice said, thanks to a "very, very competitive retail market, with 10 big supermarkets".
And with "the four main ones competing very aggressively - particularly on some of the lower-cost, everyday value items for households, so things like spaghetti and ambient products - there's a lot of competition to keep those prices down".
But he added it would difficult to keep down the price of fresh chicken because of the cost of feeding the birds and the already super-low profit margins involved in poultry farming.
