WASHINGTON — The average price paid for white pan bread fell while the average price for whole wheat bread again rose sharply during April, according to the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor.

The national average retail price of white pan bread was 136.3c, down 0.5c per lb from March and down 3.2c from April 2009. It marked the sharpest month-over-month decline since the price fell 1.9c in November 2009. On a month-to-month basis, the average price for white pan bread rose in two regions — up 5.6c in the Northeast and up 0.2c in the Midwest — and fell in two regions — down 5.4c in the West and down 0.9c in the South. The trend continued recent erratic pricing in the Northeast, where month-over-month average prices rose 8c in December 2009, fell 7.2c in January, rose 5c in February, fell 9.6c in March, and jumped 5.6c this past month.

At 182.1c per lb, the national average price for whole wheat bread was up 2.8c per lb from March but down 9.3c per lb from April 2009.

The national average price of family flour in April was 47.3c per lb, down 0.6c from March and down 1.2c from April 2009.

The national average price for spaghetti and macaroni in April was 113.2c per lb, down 1.3c from March but up 1c from April 2009. Chocolate chip cookies were 313.8c per lb, up 0.4c from March and up 0.3c from April 2009.