Following a stable February, the food price index slightly increased in March. Food away from home and food at home both increased by 0.1%.
Of the six grocery store food group indexes, four rose and two fell. Fruits and vegetables saw another relatively sharp decline (-0.7%) after falling 0.5% in February.
- Meat, poultry, fish, and eggs: + 0.8%
- Cereals and bakery products: + 0.4%
- Dairy and related products: + 0.3%
- Fruits and vegetables: – 0.7%
- Nonalcoholic beverages: + 0.4%
- Other food from home: – 0.2%
Over the past 12 months, the cost of food at home has increased a modest 0.4%. The index for meat, poultry, fish, and eggs has had the most significant increase: 2.1%.
The cost of food away from home has risen by 2.5% over the past year.