WASHINGTON, DC, US — The Consumer Price Index for baked foods and cereal products rose 0.4% in February, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the US Department of Labor. The index for all food at home, meanwhile, increased 0.3%.

Of the 18 items followed by Milling & Baking News, a sister publication of World Grain, 14 posted month-over-month increases and 4 finished lower.

The February index for Cereals and Bakery Products before seasonal adjustment was 350.8% of the 1982-84 average, up 14.6% from a year ago. For all food at home, the February index was 302.5, up 10.2% from February 2022.

The CPI for cereals and cereal products in February was 285, down 0.2% from January but up 14.2% from February 2022. The index for products within this category included: flour and prepared mixes, 318.9, up 0.1% from January and up 19.8% from the previous year; breakfast cereal, 271, down 1.1% from the previous month but up 12.5% from a year ago; and rice, pasta and corn meal, 294.8, up 0.4% from January and up 13.6% from February 2022.

The price index for bakery products in February was 388.9, up 0.7% from January and up 14.7% from February 2022.

The February index for bread was 235.7, up 1.2% from January and up 15.8% from February 2022. Under this heading, the CPI for white bread was 426.4, up 0.4% from January but up 16% from February 2022. For bread other than white, the index was 459.8, up 1.7% from January and up 15% from a year ago.

The price index for fresh biscuits, rolls and muffins in February was 231.6, up 1.1% from January and up 14.3% from February 2022. The February index for cakes, cupcakes and cookies was 369.5, up 0.8% from January and up 15.8% from February 2022. Under this segment, other price indexes included fresh cakes and cupcakes, 384.7, up 0.7% from January and up 13.8% from February 2022; and cookies, 349.6, up 0.9% from the previous month and up 16.6% from the previous year.