"The people in the market are obviously going to be feeling like everyone else, very concerned," he said, pointing to the cumulative impact of rising business rates, tariffs and supply chain disruption.
Catch up quick: Trump issued an executive order Saturday directing the Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission to establish task forces on anti-competitive behavior in the food supply chain. The order specifically directs them to look at "whether control of food-related industries by foreign entities is increasing the cost of food products in the United States or creating a national or economic security threat to Americans." The task forces are expected to brief congressional leaders within six months.
In a country famed for its large portion sizes, Americans toss out some 30-40% of the food produced. "We think of U.S. households wasting about a third of all their food that could be eaten," said Ted Jaenicke, a professor of agricultural economics at Pennsylvania State University who studies food waste and consumer purchasing behaviors. "Visually, that's buying three bags of groceries at the supermarket and putting one in the trash on your way out the door." Experts say the holiday season compounds the problem.