Staple foods have shown a decrease in price this year, reports The Rural Blog. According to the American Farm Bureau Federation, the total cost of 16 staple food items has dropped by 12 cents over the last year. Whole milk had the biggest drop, down 17 percent. Apples, bacon, cheddar cheese, flour, bagged salad, vegetable oil, Russet potatoes, white bread and chicken also declined in price.
However, price tags on some mainstays went up this year. Egg prices took the biggest jump, up 56 percent. The sharp increase was attributed to an avian flu outbreak in the Midwest. Other products that rose in price: orange juice, ground chuck, toasted oat cereal, sirloin tip and sliced deli ham.
Of the 16 items surveyed, 10 decreased and six increased in average price.