NEW YORK (CNN) — Grocery shoppers can finally breathe a little sigh of relief. After years of rising prices and months of stagnation, food prices fell last month.
Inflation data released Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics showed food prices fell 0.2% from March to April, adjusted for seasonal fluctuations.
But on the other hand, restaurant food prices rose by 0.3% over the same period. As a result, food prices remained flat overall.
Although the drop is small, it is a welcome reversal. Food prices began to soar at the beginning of the pandemic, as supply chains were disrupted, the Ukraine war affected global agricultural exports, extreme weather damaged harvests and companies seized on opportunities to inflate prices. It far exceeded overall inflation for many years. However, as of February, overall food prices remained flat for the first time since April 2023. And now it's actually going down, albeit slightly.
Still, food prices are higher than they were a year ago. Prices rose 1.1% in the 12 months to April. However, overall inflation during that period was even higher, rising by 3.4%.
Apples and eggs soar
Many individual items became cheaper throughout the year. Ham was down 3.4%, cheese was down 3.3% and seafood and potatoes were down 2.1%. Coffee prices fell by 2%. Milk fell 1.2% and rice fell 1%.
Two items showed notable declines. Apples fell 12.7% last year following an oversupply. And eggs, a symbol of last year's price rise, fell 9%, continuing a recent downward trend.
Still, prices for some items, particularly beef, rose throughout the year, in part because deadly wildfires in Texas limited the supply of cattle.
Raw beef roasts jumped 10.1%. Summer grilling season staples also surged as well, with hot dogs up 7.1% for him, uncooked beef steak up 6.5% and uncooked ground meat up 6%.
In other grocery stores, flour prices rose 2.5%, while fruits and vegetables combined rose 1.7%.
From March to April, some food items became cheaper.
In the same month, eggs fell 7.3% and apples fell 2.7%. Overall, fresh fruits and vegetables decreased by 1.1%. Milk prices fell 0.8% and poultry meat prices fell 0.6%. However, prices of some items increased. Breakfast sausages rose 3.4%, flour prices rose 3.2%, ham rose 1.8% and bacon rose 0.8%.
Fast food prices are rising
Although food prices are stabilizing, menu prices remain high, especially at fast food restaurants.
Restaurant prices rose 4.1% in the year to April.
Prices at sit-down restaurants rose 3.4%, while prices rose 4.8% at limited-service restaurants offering counter dining.
As menu prices have increased over the years, customers have started pulling back, visiting chain restaurants less often and spending less when they do.
McDonald's once boasted that its customers were undaunted by high prices, but recently it has reported that it is struggling with lower-income customers.
Casual dining chains are trying to capitalize on this dissatisfaction. Applebee's and Chili's are trying to lure customers away from fast-food restaurants by pointing out that eating lunch at McDonald's can cost about the same as ordering a slow burger.