Food price increases continue to slow, with last month’s rise at 0.1%, according to the most recent CPI report. This is slightly less than the 0.2% increase in both June and July.
Food at home
The food at home index was unchanged during the month of August after rising 0.1% in July. Two out of the six major grocery store food group indexes saw increases in August. The largest increase was in the index for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs, which rose 0.8%. Meanwhile, the index for nonalcoholic beverages experienced the greatest decrease at -0.7%.
Price changes for the other major grocery store groups included:
- Dairy and related products: +0.5% (-0.2% in July)
- Cereals and bakery products: -0.1% (-0.5% in July)
- Fruits and vegetables: -0.2% (+0.8% in July)
- Other food at home: -0.3% (-0.5% in July)
Over the past year, the index for food at home went up 0.9%. The largest increase during this time was in meats, poultry, fish, and eggs, which went up 3.2%. Cereals and bakery declined the most, falling by 0.3%.
Food away from home
The food away index went up 0.3% in August after a 0.2% increase in July. The index for full service meals increased 0.2%, and the index for limited service meals rose 0.3% over the month.
The index for food away from home rose 4.0% during the past 12 months. During this time, the index for limited service meals rose 4.3% and the index for full service meals went up 3.8%.
