Food prices remained flat in July after rising 0.3% in June, according to the latest Consumer Price Index. A significant drop in egg costs helped offset increases in other categories, bringing the overall food index to unchanged for the month.
Food at home
The food at home index fell 0.1% in July, with mixed results across the six major grocery store food groups. Two categories increased while three decreased and one remained unchanged.
A 3.9% decline in egg prices helped pull down the overall index, even as beef prices rose 1.5% and the broader meats, poultry, fish, and eggs index increased 0.2%. Dairy and related products increased 0.7% over the month, mostly due to a 1.9% rise in milk prices.
Meanwhile, nonalcoholic beverages and other food at home each dropped 0.5% over the month, while cereals and bakery products decreased 0.2%. The fruits and vegetables index was unchanged.
Over the past year, the food at home index has risen 2.2%. The meats, poultry, fish, and eggs index increased 5.2% over the last 12 months as the eggs index jumped 16.4%. During the same period, nonalcoholic beverages rose 3.6% and cereals and bakery products increased 1.0%.
Food away from home
The food away from home index rose 0.3% in July, with full service meals rising 0.5% and limited service meals increasing 0.1%. Food away from home increased 3.9% over the last year, with full service meals up 4.4% and limited service meals up 3.3%.
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