WASHINGTON — The Consumer Price Index for baked foods and cereal products increased 2% in July, its second consecutive month of such a gain, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the US Department of Labor. The index for all food at home, meanwhile, rose 1.4%.
Of the 18 items followed by Milling & Baking News, all 18 posted month-over-month increases in July.
The July index for Cereals and Bakery Products before seasonal adjustment was 333% of the 1982-84 average, up 15% from a year ago. For all food at home, the July index was 293, up 13.1% from July 2021.
The sharp year-over-year gains were a reflection of the broader CPI, which was up 8.5% from a year ago.
The overall food index also was much stronger than a year ago, posting a 10.9% year-over-year increase. The 10.9% increase was the food index’s sharpest year-over-year gain since an 11.4% increase in May 1979.
The CPI for cereals and cereal products in July was 275.8, up 2% from June and up 16.8% from July 2021. The index for products within this category included: flour and prepared mixes, 301.1, up 4% from June and up 22.7% from the previous year; breakfast cereal, 267.8, up 2% from the previous month and up 16.4% from a year ago; and rice, pasta and corn meal, 282.5, up 1.3% from June and up 14.5% from July 2021.
The price index for bakery products in July was 365.9, up 2% from June and up 14.2% from July 2021.
The July index for bread was 219.6, up 2.8% from June and up 13.7% from July 2021. Under this heading, the CPI for white bread was 393.5, up 2% from June and up 12.9% from July 2021. For bread other than white, the index was 432.4, up 3.5% from June and up 14.3% from a year ago.
The price index for fresh biscuits, rolls and muffins in July was 215.2, up 1.2% from June and up 13.9% from July 2021. The July index for cakes, cupcakes and cookies was 346.9, up 1.7% from June and up 14% from July 2021. Under this segment, other price indexes included fresh cakes and cupcakes, 367.9, up 1.2% from June and up 12.4% from July 2021; and cookies, 323.8, up 1.7% from the previous month and up 14.5% from the previous year.
The CPI for other bakery products in July was 328.4, up 2% from June and up 14.9% from July 2021. Under this heading, other price indexes in July included: fresh sweet rolls, coffee cakes and donuts, 369.1, up 0.5% from June and up 12.1% from July 2021; crackers and cracker products, 391.9, up 3.8% from June and up 16.8% from July 2021; and frozen and refrigerated bakery products, pies, tarts and turnovers, 320.3, up 0.7% from June and up 16.2% from the previous year.
