This page provides information on: Background on the CPI for
food The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is the most publicized and
widely used measure of the general level of prices in the U.S.
economy. The CPI is a composite measure of the level of average
prices paid by urban consumers for a defined market basket of
goods and services, including food. Changes in the CPI are
widely used to measure inflation (changes in the general price
level) in the U.S. economy. The CPI for food at home is a
component of the full CPI and is the principal indicator of
changes in retail food prices. Industry analysts, food market
participants, and policymakers, both public and private, closely
follow the CPI for food consumed at home and its changes, which
measure price inflation for food items. The CPI for food
consumed at home also affects policy evaluation because the
effects of many current and proposed policies are evaluated
based on CPI measures. To contribute to the analysis of
government and commercial decisionmakers, ERS e