immokalee, florida, to make ends meet. >> we're just trying to keep up with everything and the prices keep going up. >> reporter: the biggest food price hikes are in meats with pork and beef up 14% to 20% from a year ago. food companies and some economists say pandemic disruptions, inflation, and high demand are to blame. but others question whether there's more at play. ricardo salvador is with the union of concerned scientists, a nonprofit advocacy group. >> you're seeing just orders of magnitude greater profit. they're not justified by the actual rate of inflation or their increased costs. >> reporter: we pulled the quarterly reports on tyson, the nation's largest meat processor. the company posted $3 billion in profit in 2021. and over $1 billion, just last quarter. that means profits were up a staggering 48%, even as inflation is hurting american families. a big reason for those skyrocketing profits? a 31% price hike on beef, 20% on chicken, and 13% on pork.