WASHINGTON — The average price paid for white pan bread fell sharply in October, according to the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor. The decline of 6.1c per lb was the largest month-over-month decline in recent memory. The average price of whole wheat bread also declined, falling 3.5c, its fifth consecutive month of lower prices.
The national average retail price of white pan bread was 135.8c, down 6.4c per lb from September. The decrease followed a gain of 1.1c in September. On a month-to-month basis, the average price for white pan bread in October fell in all four regions — down 8.8c in the South, down 5.6c in the Midwest, down 5.1c in the West and down 4c in the Northeast.
At 197.6c per lb, the national average price for whole wheat bread was down 3.5c per lb from September and down 3.8c per lb from October 2012.
The national average price of family flour in October was 51.6c per lb, down 0.6c from September but up 0.7c from October 2012.
The national average price for spaghetti and macaroni in October was 128.3c per lb, down 1.7c from September but up 0.2c from October 2012. Chocolate chip cookies were 369c per lb, up 9.1c from September and up 9.5c from October 2012. The national average price of white long-grain rice was 73.4c per lb, down 0.7c from September but up 4.9c from October 2012.