It is a general rule of economics that as the price of an item rises, demand for that item falls and that when the price falls, demand rises. Yet in the United States in 1980, after the price of canned soup rose, demand for canned soup also rose.
Which of the following, if true about the period when prices for canned soup were rising, best resolves the discrepancy described above?
(A) Because retail prices fell for both meat and vegetables, the major ingredients of most canned soups, canned soup became more expensive than foods that could be prepared at home with these ingredients.
(B) Dehydrated soup gained in sales at the expense of canned soup.
(C) Because the retail prices of other foodstuffs rose faster than the price of canned soup, canned soup became cheaper relative to other foodstuffs.
(D) Because the retail prices and demand for most other foodstuffs remained stable, demand for them decreased relative to demand for canned soup.
(E) Consumers became increasingly concerned about the adverse effects of high salt content in many canned soups.
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