After a 0.2% increase in October, the overall food price index rose 0.4% in November, according to the latest Consumer Price Index (CPI). Food prices have jumped 2.4% in the 12-month period ending in November.
Food at home
The food at home index surged by 0.5% over the month, with price increases in four of the six major grocery store food groups. The meats, poultry, fish, and eggs category, which dropped by 1.2% in October, went up 1.7% in November. Increases in the beef (3.1%) and egg (8.2%) indexes drove this change.
Meanwhile, the cereals and bakery products index recorded its largest one-month decrease in the report’s history, falling by 1.1%. This reverses the category’s substantial 1.0% increase in October.
Changes in the other grocery categories included:
- The index for nonalcoholic beverages jumped 1.5%, after a smaller 0.4% increase in October.
- Prices for fruits and vegetables rose by 0.2%, following a 0.4% increase in October.
- The other food at home index experienced another small 0.1% increase over the month.
- After a significant 1.0% increase in October, the index for dairy and related products decreased slightly by 0.1%.
Zooming out, the food at home index has gone up 1.6% over the past year, with price changes ranging from -0.5% (cereals and bakery products) to +3.8% (meats, poultry, fish, and eggs).
Food away from home
Food away from home also became more expensive in November, with the price index rising 0.3%. The indexes for both full and limited service meals also increased by 0.3%.
The food away from home index went up 3.6% over the last 12 months.
