After 3 months of stability, the food index crept up 0.1% in September, according to the most recent CPI report.
Over the summer, the food at home index inched down, while the food away from home index inched up, with the net effect being no change overall. In September, the food at home index was unchanged, while the food away from home index rose 0.3%.
Five of the six major grocery store food group indexes saw increases last month, which were offset by one big decline:
- Cereals and bakery products +0.5%
- Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs +0.3%
- Other food at home +0.3%
- Dairy and related products +0.2%
- Nonalcoholic beverages +0.1%
- Fruits and vegetables -1.0%
Overall, the food at home index is up 0.6% over the past 12 months. Following the pattern above, all major grocery store food groups except fruits and vegetables have seen price increases during that time period. Meanwhile, the food away from home index has risen 3.6% over the past year, with full service meals up 3.6% and limited service meals up 3.0%.
