By DAVID MERCER CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The cost of food spiked right on cue last year when economists warned that the country's thirst for ethanol would drive up the cost of the grain used to feed livestock for meat, dairy and other foods.

The cost of food spiked right on cue last year when economists warned that the country's thirst for ethanol would drive up the cost of the grain used to feed livestock for meat, dairy and other foods.

Soaring demand for ethanol will likely mean higher prices at grocery stores for products from soft drinks to broiler chickens, but the increases may be too small for most consumers to notice.