WASHINGTON, DC, US — The Consumer Price Index for baked foods and cereal products increased 0.8% in November, building off its 0.6% month-over-month gain in October, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the US Department of Labor. The index for all food at home, meanwhile, was virtually unchanged, moving down narrowly in the month.

Of the 18 items followed by Milling & Baking News, a sister publication of World Grain, 12 posted month-over-month increases and six posted decreases in November.

The November index for Cereals and Bakery Products before seasonal adjustment was 344.4% of the 1982-84 average, up 16.4% from a year ago. For all food at home, the November index was 298.3, up 12% from November 2021.

The CPI for cereals and cereal products in November was 281, up 0.5% from October and up 16.6% from November 2021. The index for products within this category included: flour and prepared mixes, 308.2, down 1% from October but up 24.9% from the previous year; breakfast cereal, 270, up 0.4% from the previous month and up 13.3% from a year ago; and rice, pasta and corn meal, 290.3, up 1.2% from October and up 16.8% from November 2021.

The price index for bakery products in November was 381.1, up 1% from October and up 16.3% from November 2021.

The November index for bread was 231.9, up 2% from October and up 15.7% from November 2021. Under this heading, the CPI for white bread was 419.4, up 1.7% from October and up 15.5% from November 2021. For bread other than white, the index was 452.1, up 2.3% from October and up 15.5% from a year ago.

The price index for fresh biscuits, rolls and muffins in November was 226.8, up 2.3% from October and up 14.8% from November 2021. The November index for cakes, cupcakes and cookies was 359.3, up 1.3% from October and up 17.6% from November 2021. Under this segment, other price indexes included fresh cakes and cupcakes, 379.4, up 1.5% from October and up 14.4% from November 2021; and cookies, 334.8, up 1.5% from the previous month and up 19.2% from the previous year.

The CPI for other bakery products in November was 337.5, down 0.7% from October but up 16.5% from November 2021. Under this heading, other price indexes in November included: fresh sweet rolls, coffee cakes and donuts, 373.1, down 0.3% from October but up 9.5% from November 2021; crackers and cracker products, 396.6, down 1.3% from October but up 19.9% from November 2021; and frozen and refrigerated bakery products, pies, tarts and turnovers, 339, down 0.4% from October but up 19.4% from the previous year.