The food price index rose by only 0.1% in March, slightly less than February’s 0.2% increase, according to the most recent CPI report. Prices within food at home and food away from home also inched up. Â
Food at homeÂ
Food at home prices went up by 0.1%, following a 0.3% jump in February. Only two of the six major grocery store groups had price increases in March. Prices jumped significantly for fruits and vegetables (+1.0%), while dairy and related products dipped by 0.5%, continuing the category’s recent downward trend.
- Fruits and vegetables: +1.0% (+0.7% in February)
- Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs: +0.1% (+0.3% in February)
- Other food at home: Unchanged (+0.1% in February)
- Cereals and bakery products: -0.1% (+0.5% in February)
- Nonalcoholic beverages: -0.2% (-0.1% in February)
- Dairy and related products: -0.5% (-0.2% in February)
Within the last 12 months, the food at home index rose by 3.3%. Prices for all six grocery store groups increased for the period, ranging from 1.6% (dairy and related products) to 5.4% (meats, poultry, fish, and eggs).
Food away from home
The index for food away from home also rose by 0.1% in March, after an increase of the same amount in February. Both limited service and full service meals had price growth for the month:
- Limited service meals: +0.5% (+0.4% in February)
- Full service meals: +0.2% (+0.3% in February)
The overall food away from home index jumped 3.7% over the past year. With an increase of 6.5%, limited service meals set a new record for its largest 12-month increase in the index’s history. Prices for full service meals grew by 3.2% over the period.
