WASHINGTON, DC, US — The Consumer Price Index for baked foods and cereal products eased 0.1% in April, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the US Department of Labor. The index for all food at home, meanwhile, increased 0.1%.

Of the 18 items followed by Milling & Baking News, a sister publication of World Grain, 10 posted month-over-month decreases and 8 finished higher.

The April index for Cereals and Bakery Products before seasonal adjustment was 353.7% of the 1982-84 average, up 12.4% from a year ago. For all food at home, the April index was 302.3, up 7.1% from April 2022.

The CPI for cereals and cereal products in April was 288.1, down 0.2% from March but up 11.3% from April 2022. The index for products within this category included: flour and prepared mixes, 316.6, down 1.3% from March but up 17.8% from the previous year; breakfast cereal, 277.7, up 0.1% from the previous month and up 10% from a year ago; and rice, pasta and corn meal, 296.3, down 0.1% from March but up 10.3% from April 2022.

The price index for bakery products in April was 391.8, up 0.1% from March and up 12.9% from April 2022.

The April index for bread was 235.7, down 0.3% from March but up 12.6% from April 2022. Under this heading, the CPI for white bread was 431, up 0.1% from March and up 14.3% from April 2022. For bread other than white, the index was 454.8, down 0.8% from March but up 10.8% from a year ago.

The price index for fresh biscuits, rolls and muffins in April was 232.5, up 1.4% from March and up 12.9% from April 2022. The April index for cakes, cupcakes and cookies was 370.9, down 0.3% from March but up 14.1% from April 2022. Under this segment, other price indexes included fresh cakes and cupcakes, 388.5, up 0.2% from March and up 12% from April 2022; and cookies, 350.4, down 0.3% from the previous month but up 15.9% from the previous year.