Within food at home, four of the six major grocery store food group indexes increased in August. This compared with July when only two of the six indexes increased.
The index for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs increased for the third month in a row, rising 0.6 percent in August after increasing 0.2 percent in July. Meanwhile, the index for fruits and vegetables again finished sharply higher, rising 1.2 percent after a 1.5 percent increase in July.
The index for dairy and related products rose 0.4 percent in August. This came after the index had declined in each of the previous three months.
The cereals and bakery products index followed up a decline of 0.3 percent in July by increasing 0.3 percent in August, the BLS said.
In contrast to the gains, the index for other food at home fell 1 percent in August, its largest month-over-month decline since 2002, and the index for nonalcoholic beverages fell 0.1 percent.
Over the past 12 months, the food at home index has risen 1 percent. The index for fruits and vegetables has posted the largest increase over that time, rising 3.6 percent, the BLS said.
The overall Consumer Price Index advanced for the fourth consecutive month, increasing 0.1 percent in August after rising 0.2 percent in July. Over the past 12 months, the index has increased 1.5 percent.
