By Shelby Shank
Field Editor

Prices at the grocery store experienced a marginal uptick of 0.1% in September, driven by increased costs of beef, pork and milk.

It was the smallest increase in the cost of eating at home since June, when grocery prices were unchanged from May, according the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The overall Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 0.4% in September, primarily influenced by heightened housing expenses and an increase in gasoline prices. T

Since September 2022, supermarket prices have climbed by 2.4%, an increase in line with historic food inflation.

The cost of eating at home has risen an average of 2.5% annually over the past 20 years, according to USDA’s Economic Research Service. ERS suggests grocery prices will rise about 1.6% in 2024, well below that 20-year average.

The retail price of beef increased by 0.6% in September, following increases of 1.2% in August and 2.4% in July. Pork prices were up by 1.6% last month, following a 2.2% increase in August, and bacon prices rose by 4.8%

Egg prices had seen a prolonged decline, but that ended in September when they increased 0.9%, but they remain 14.5% lower than a year ago. In 2022, egg prices increased 32% in the wake of a widespread avian flu outbreak.

Dairy prices increased by 0.1% in September as reductions in the cost of cheese and other dairy products offset a 1.4% increase in the cost of fluid milk.

The index for fruits and vegetables showed declines in the prices of apples, bananas, potatoes and lettuce. Those price decreases offset increases for oranges and tomatoes, as well as processed and frozen products.

The index for cereals and bakery products experienced a modest decline of 0.4%.