Private equity funds snapped up a record 786 makers of food and beverages worth $32 billion in 2021, using bundles of debt to pay for their purchases. The financiers projected that staple goods would keep making profits no matter how the economy fared. But that forecast changed, as processed-food prices shot 14% higher last year, almost four times the 20-year annual average, while fruits leapt 18% and vegetables soared 51%.