New Zealand food prices continued to fall in April as consumers paid less for soft drinks and supermarket shopping.
The food price index fell 0.1 per cent last month, according to Statistics New Zealand. The index showed no overall change when compared to a year earlier.
The decline was led by a 2.6 per cent decrease in non-alcoholic beverages from a month earlier and a 0.7 per cent fall in grocery prices, with cheaper prices recorded for potato crisps, crackers, yoghurt, sweets and soup. The cost of restaurant meals and ready-to-eat food slipped just 0.1 per cent.
The index also recorded a 7.3 per cent decrease in the price of packaged coffee, an 8.1 per cent fall in takeaway pizza, and minced beef declined 7.2 per cent.
Higher prices were recorded in two of the main sub-groups, with a 2.8 per cent increase in the price of fruit and vegetables and a 0.7 rise in meat, poultry and fish.
