Inflation and high food and housing costs are squeezing millions of families in the United States. At the same time, a designer pineapple priced at nearly $400 sold out within weeks of its launch. The disparity reflects a deepening chasm between luxury food consumers and average American families just scraping by.
In late March, Melissa’s Produce and Fresh Del Monte Produce debuted a new designer pineapple for sale in the United States at a whopping price tag of $395.99. The pineapple resembles a ruby on the outside and tastes super sweet on the inside, according to the sellers.
It’s now sold out.
The Rubyglow pineapple — a hybrid between a classic pineapple and a Morada variety — is out of stock in the United States, said Robert Schueller, spokesperson for Melissa’s Produce. The California-based grocer is the only online distributor to offer the specialty pineapple in the United States.
Buzz about the rare fruit generated a buying frenzy in the last few months. The pricey pineapple is just the latest in a string of luxury produce — $128 melons and $89 strawberries —that has become popular with some consumers.
The rise of luxury fruits comes at a time when some Americans are struggling to afford groceries and food insecurity is on the rise.
The cost of one Rubyglow pineapple is nearly double what the average American spends on groceries in a week. On average, U.S. consumers spend about $250 a week on groceries, according to a recent study. In California, that cost is closer to $300 a month.
In L.A. County, 30 percent of residents experienced food insecurity last year, according to the latest data provided by USC researchers.
The impact of inflation, high cost of living and other factors have led to an increase in food insecurity, said Michael Flood, president of the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, which serves 900,000 people a month in conjunction with its partner agency of networks.
“It ranges from people who are struggling every day to feed themselves to people whose shortfall of food may be three or four days getting to that next paycheck or, for a senior, a Social Security check,” Flood said. “Food insecurity is real.”
At the same time, there are people who are willing to shell out for the next shipment of Rubyglows from Costa Rica in August. Only about 50 to 100 will be made available, Schueller said.
“It’s not for everyone,” he said. “There is a market for everything in the United States. Not everyone buys a Ferrari.”
Schueller noted that Melissa’s Produce is also a top produce donor for the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank.
The extravagant price of the pineapple is partly because it took 16 years for Fresh Del Monte to develop the fruit, according to the company’s website.
