Rising chocolate prices offset falling grocery costs

Rising chocolate prices offset falling grocery costs
Chocolate has increased in price by about 20% in the past year. (Image: Supplied)
Staff reporters
Spikes in chocolate and olive oil prices offset cheaper fruit and vegetables to push annual food price inflation up slightly in August.Olive oil, chocolate, butter and takeaway meals drove an overall food price increase of 0.4% for the year to Aug 31, Stats NZ said on Thursday. “The average price of a 250g block of chocolate has increased 20% since this time last year,” Stats NZ consumer prices manager James Mitchell said.Fresh fruit and vegetable prices kept falling, down 12%. Falling kūmara, potato and lettuce prices led the...