Food prices went up by 0.9% in January, an increase from December’s 0.5%, according to the most recent CPI report. This marks the thirteenth consecutive month of food price increases.
Food at home
The food at home index went up 1.0% during the month of January, with five out of the six major grocery store food group indexes showing an increase during this time. The index for nonalcoholic beverages was the only grocery store index that didn’t increase — the category remained unchanged following December’s 0.8% increase.
The index for cereals and bakery products showed the largest increase for the month, rising 1.8% after a 0.4% increase in December. Price changes for the other major grocery store groups included:
- Other food at home: +1.6% (+0.6% in December)
- Dairy and related products: +1.1% (+0.7% in December)
- Fruits and vegetables: +0.9% (+0.9% in December)
- Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs: +0.3% (-0.4% in December)
Over the past year, the food at home index has increased 7.4%. All six of the major grocery store food group indexes rose over this time period. The largest increase was seen in the index for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs, which jumped 12.2%. Dairy and related products, which rose 3.1%, had the smallest 12-month increase.
Food away from home
The food away from home index increased 0.7% in January after a 0.6% increase in December. The indexes for full service meals and limited service meals both increased 0.7% as well, after 0.8% and 0.6% increases in December, respectively.
The food away from home index has increased 6.4% over the last year, which is the index’s largest 12-month increase since January 1982. The index for limited service meals increased 8.0% during this time period, and the index for full service meals rose 7.1%.
Food at employee sites and schools declined 46.9%, indicating a continuation of widespread free lunch programs.
