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

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

The August index for Cereals and Bakery Products before seasonal adjustment was 356.6% of the 1982-84 average, up 6% from a year ago. For all food at home, the August index was 303.7, up 3% from August 2022.

The CPI for cereals and cereal products in August was 289.3, down 0.9% from July but up 4.3% from August 2022. The index for products within this category included: flour and prepared mixes, 324.2, down 0.7% from July but up 5.6% from the previous year; breakfast cereal, 278.2, down 1.1% from the previous month but up 4% from a year ago; and rice, pasta and corn meal, 295.9, down 0.7% from July but up 4.2% from August 2022.

The price index for bakery products in August was 395.6, up 0.5% from July and up 6.8% from August 2022.

The August index for bread was 238.5 down 0.8% from July but up 6.3% from August 2022. Under this heading, the CPI for white bread was 434.7, down 0.2% from July but up 7.7% from August 2022. For bread other than white, the index was 461.5, down 1.2% from July but up 4.9% from a year ago.

The price index for fresh biscuits, rolls and muffins in August was 233.9, up 2.7% from July and up 7.2% from August 2022. The August index for cakes, cupcakes and cookies was 373.1, up 0.6% from July and up 7.1% from August 2022. Under this segment, other price indexes included fresh cakes and cupcakes, 395, up 1% from July and up 7.5% from August 2022; and cookies, 349.8, up 0.1% from the previous month and up 8.1% from the previous year.