Food prices rose at a slower pace in December and were up 0.3% after the 0.5% increase reported in November, according to the most recent CPI report.

Food at home

The food at home index went up 0.2% in December, following November’s 0.5% increase. Three out of the six major grocery store food group indexes increased during this period. The index for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs increased the most at 1.0%, with the index for eggs up 11.1%. In contrast, the index for fruits and vegetables decreased 0.6% after increasing 1.4% in November.

Price changes for the other major grocery store groups included:

• Other food at home: +0.4% (-0.1% in November)
• Nonalcoholic beverages: +0.1% (+0.7% in November)
• Cereals and bakery products: Unchanged (+1.1% in November)
• Dairy and related products: -0.3% (+1.0% in November)

The food at home index rose 11.8% over the past 12 months. Cereals and bakery products had the largest increase during this time at 16.1%. The other groups rose anywher from 7.7% (meats, poultry, fish, and eggs) to 15.3% (dairy and related products).

Food away from home

The index for food away from home increased 0.4% in December after November’s 0.5% increase. The index for limited service meals rose 0.5%, and the increase for full service meals increased 0.1% over the month.

The food away from home index went up 8.3% over the past 12 months. The index for full service meals rose 8.2%, and the index for limited service meals saw a 6.6% increase.