While retail fruit and vegetable prices cooled some, rising costs of other food in April continued to fan the flames of inflation, according to the latest consumer price index from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers increased 0.3% in April on a seasonally adjusted basis after rising 1.2% in March, the report said.
Over the last 12 months, the all-items index increased 8.3% before seasonal adjustment, a smaller increase than the 8.5% figure for the period ending in March.
Increases in the indexes for shelter, food, airline fares, and new vehicles were the largest contributors to the seasonally adjusted all items increase, according to the data.
Food and grocery prices
The food index rose 0.9% in April, the seventeenth consecutive monthly increase, according to the report.
The index for food at home rose 1% after rising 1.5% the prior month. With fruits and vegetables showing the only decline, five of the six major grocery store food group indexes increased over the month.
The index for fresh fruits declined 0.5% in April, while the index for fresh vegetables was unchanged; the overall index for fruits and vegetables declined 0.3% in April.
The index for dairy and related products rose 2.5%, its largest monthly increase since July 2007. The index for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs rose 1.4% as the index for eggs increased 10.3% in April, the report said.
The food-at-home index rose 10.8% over the last 12 months, the largest 12-month increase since the period ending November 1980, according to the report.
The index for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs increased 14.3% over the last year, the largest 12-month increase since the period ending May 1979, the report said.
The other major grocery store food group indexes also rose over the past year, with increases ranging from 7.8% (fruits and vegetables) to 11% (other food at home).
Menu prices rising
The food away from home (restaurant/foodservice) index rose 0.6% in April after rising 0.3% in March, according to the report. The index for full-service meals rose 0.9% over the month. The index for limited-service meals increased 0.3% in April after declining in March, the data said.
The index for food away from home rose 7.2% over the last year, with full-service meals up 8.7% over the past year, the report said.
That is the largest 12-month increase since the inception of the index in 1997.
The index for limited-service meals rose 7% over the last year, while the index for food at employee sites and schools fell 30%%, reflecting widespread free lunch programs, the report said.