WASHINGTON, DC, US — The US Consumer Price Index for baked foods and cereal products rose 0.3% in April, partially rebounding from the 0.6% decline it recorded in March, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the US Department of Labor. The index for all food at home also moved up, increasing 0.1%.

Of the 18 items followed by Milling & Baking News, a sister publication of World Grain, 11 posted month-over-month increases and 7 finished lower.

The April index for Cereals and Bakery Products before seasonal adjustment was 355.9% of the 1982-84 average, up 0.6% from a year ago. For all food at home, the April index was 305.7, up 1.1% from April 2023.

The CPI for cereals and cereal products in April was 290, up 1.8% from March and up 0.6% from April 2023. The index for products within this category included: flour and prepared mixes, 324.5, up 1.4% from March and up 2.5% from the previous year; breakfast cereal, 281.4, up 3.1% from the previous month and up 1.3% from a year ago; and rice, pasta and corn meal, 294.4, up 0.8% from March but down 0.7% from April 2023.

The price index for bakery products in April was 394.3, down 0.3% from March but up 0.6% from April 2023.

The April index for bread was 236.5 down 0.2% from March but up 0.4% from April 2023. Under this heading, the CPI for white bread was 428.1, down 0.7% from March and down 0.7% from April 2023. For bread other than white, the index was 461.1, up 0.5% from March and up 1.4% from a year ago.

The price index for fresh biscuits, rolls and muffins in April was 231.4, down 1.7% from March and down 0.5% from April 2023. The April index for cakes, cupcakes and cookies was 371.1, down 0.5% from March but up 0.1% from April 2023. Under this segment, other price indexes included fresh cakes and cupcakes, 388.9, down 0.8% from March but up 0.1% from April 2023; and cookies, 349.5, down 0.6% from the previous month and down 0.3% from the previous year.