After no changes in September, the food price index climbed by 0.2% in October, according to the most recent CPI report.
Food at home
Prices for food at home increased by just 0.1% last month, following three months of decreases. Most of the six major grocery store categories had price growth in October, with two exceptions:
- Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs: +0.4% (-0.4% in September)
- Cereals and bakery products: +0.3% (unchanged in September)
- Other food at home: +0.3% (-0.6% in September)
- Fruits and vegetables: +0.1% (-0.4% in September)
- Nonalcoholic beverages: -0.1% (-0.8% in September)
- Dairy and related products: -0.9% (-0.5% in September)
October’s price drop for dairy and related products marked the category’s greatest monthly decrease since January 2015.
The 12-month food at home index is now at +4.0%. Prices for all of the major grocery store groups went up over the year-long period, from 2.6% (fruits and vegetables) to 6.1% (meats, poultry, fish, and eggs).
Food away from home
Food away from home prices are still on the rise. Following a 0.6% jump in September, the price index went up by another 0.3% in October. Prices for both limited and full service meals increased by 0.3% for the month.
Continued growth has raised the 12-month index for food away from home up from +3.8% to +3.9%, with limited service meals now at +5.7% for the period and full service meals remaining at +2.8%.
