CPI for food increases again in February

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers food index increased 0.4% in February, as did the food-at-home index, while the food-away-from-home index rose 0.3%, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today.

FMI -The Food Industry Association Vice President of Tax, Trade, Sustainability and Policy Development Andy Harig said, “Today’s CPI numbers reflect an uneven grocery price environment and underscore the challenge in bringing down food inflation across all categories to more historical averages. Fruits and vegetables and non-alcoholic beverages increased measurably in February. However, it is encouraging that key staples like dairy and cheese, cereals and bakery products, chicken and eggs all declined for the month.

“Numerous factors including labor, transportation costs, commodity market fluctuations, and energy prices affect the prices of goods on store shelves. In particular, we are keeping a watchful eye on the impact of the conflict in the Middle East with regard to global oil and fertilizer availability. Food production and transportation are energy-intensive, and sustained increases in oil prices can put upward pressure on food. We remain hopeful that the conflict is short-lived and any impact on prices is minimal and temporary.”