The Kantar Worldpanel agency reported an annual rate of 16.7% during the four weeks to 22 January.
It marked a steep increase on the 14.4% seen in December, when discounting by chains in the run-up to the festive season helped temper the pace of price increases.
The report said that the record new rate meant that families faced a potential £788 annual rise in the cost of their regular shopping basket as a result of the hike.
