$395 pineapple being sold at Southern California produce store

California families pay more for groceries than those in any other state. Today, just one piece of fruit is sold at a SoCal retailer and costs more than the average $297.72 per week that households spend on food in the Golden State.

Rubyglow Pineapple is available at Melissa’s Produce for just $395.99, plus tax. The fruit is pinkish red on the outside and yellow on the inside.

Only a few thousand expensive pineapples are produced each year by Fresh Del Monte, which sells a variety of products.

Del Monte says the Rubyglow Pineapple is the result of 15 years of research. The company had a limited quantity only in China earlier this year, before choosing to import the fruit to the United States.

High-end consumers have become more interested in luxury fruits in recent years. Products such as Honeycrisp Apples, Oishii Strawberries and Sumo Citrus have seen strong sales, although they are more expensive than non-specialty fruits.

Food prices fell overall in April for the first time in 12 months, according to data released Wednesday by the Labor Ministry.

According to the Labor Department’s Consumer Price Index (CPI), the closely watched inflation gauge, home food prices fell 0.2 percent in April. This was the first drop in home food prices since April 2023, after several months of stagnation.