WASHINGTON, DC, US — The Consumer Price Index for baked foods and cereal products rose 1.3% in February, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the US Department of Labor. The index for all food at home, meanwhile, increased 1.4%.

All 18 items followed by Milling & Baking News, a sister publication of World Grain, posted month-over-month increases in February.

The February index for Cereals and Bakery Products before seasonal adjustment was 306.2% of the 1982-84 average, up 7.8% from a year ago. For all food at home, the February index was 274.6, up 8.6% from February 2021.

The sharp year-over-year gains were a reflection of the broader CPI, which was up 7.9% from a year ago. The 7.9% increase is the biggest increase in the overall CPI since an 8.4% increase in January 1982.

The overall food index also was much stronger than a year ago, posting a 7.9% year-over-year increase. The 7.9% increase was the food index’s sharpest year-over-year gain since an 8.4% increase in July 1981.

The CPI for cereals and cereal products in February was 249.6, up 1.2% from January and up 7.7% from February 2021. The index for products within this category included: flour and prepared mixes, 266.1, up 0.6% from January and up 11.6% from the previous year; breakfast cereal, 240.8, up 1.1% from the previous month and up 7.5% from a year ago; and rice, pasta and corn meal, 259.6, up 1.6% from January and up 6.1% from February 2021.

The price index for bakery products in February was 339, up 1.3% from January and up 7.8% from February 2021.

The February index for bread was 203.6, up 0.4% from January and up 6.5% from February 2021. Under this heading, the CPI for white bread was 367.6, up 0.6% from January and up 6.5% from February 2021. For bread other than white, the index was 399.7, up 0.4% from January and up 7.3% from a year ago.

The price index for fresh biscuits, rolls and muffins in February was 202.7, up 2.4% from January and up 7.1% from February 2020. The February index for cakes, cupcakes and cookies was 319, up 1.2% from January and up 7.6% from February 2021. Under this segment, other price indexes included fresh cakes and cupcakes, 338, up 0.4% from January and up 7.4% from February 2021; and cookies, 299.8, up 1.9% from the previous month and up 8% from the previous year.

The CPI for other bakery products in February was 303.5, up 1.8% from January and up 9.6% from February 2021. Under this heading, other price indexes in February included: fresh sweet rolls, coffee cakes and donuts, 360.9, up 4.1% from January and up 11.2% from February 2021; crackers and cracker products, 357.6, up 2.1% from January and up 12.7% from February 2021; and frozen and refrigerated bakery products, pies, tarts and turnovers, 291.7, up 1.4% from January and up 7.9% from the previous year.