Food prices did not stay at 2010 levels. Food prices have risen sharply since that original calculation, and the cost of what Americans throw away has gone up right along with them. As a result, when consumers waste food today, they are wasting more money than they were in 2010. The grocery waste hiding in every fridge is part of that same squeeze. The report finds the food waste cost to each U.S. consumer to be $728 per year.