These are the grocery items that saw the biggest price increases in March

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Inflation across the country is cooling, according to the latest data from Statistics Canada, even as the prices of some food items continue to rise.

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) released April 18 shows inflation rose 4.3 per cent year-over-year in March following a 5.2 per cent increase in February.

"While headline inflation has slowed in recent months, having increased 1.7 per cent in March compared with 6 months ago, prices remain elevated," the report from StatCan reads.

Canadians are still seeing "elevated" prices at grocery stores in March but by a "lesser extent" than in February.

Prices of items like flour, fruit juices and apples remained high in March whereas ham, tomatoes and lettuce saw reductions from February to March 2023.

"Year-over-year, prices for food purchased from stores rose to a lesser extent in March (+9.7%) than in February (+10.6%), with the slowdown stemming from lower prices for fresh fruit and vegetables," the CPI report reads.

INFLATION CONTINUES TO INCREASE ON THESE ITEMS

Edible fats and oils saw a 19.3 per cent year-over-year increase in March 2023, the largest of any food items on the updated CPI. Between February and March 2023, prices for edible fats and oils increased 1.1 per cent.

Apple prices continue to be elevated, rising 3 per cent from February to March 2023, with a 15.8 per cent year-over-year increase.

Despite a month-to-month decrease of 3.2 per cent , flour and flour mixes continued to have a high year-over-year price jump of 14.4 per cent.

Prices of pasta products, which use both flour and eggs, remain high year-over-year with a 14.2 per cent inflation rate. Between February and March 2023, prices rose 1 per cent on these products.

Cookies and crackers were also more costly in March, with a 12.2 per cent year-over-year increase and a 2.3 per cent increase from February 2023. The prices of breads, rolls and buns increased by 1.8 per cent between February and March 2023 landing at 13.5 per cent inflation year-over-year.

Cereal saw elevated prices in March, with a 2.3 per cent difference from February 2023. Year-over-year, the price of cereal increased by 12.4 per cent.

In February, fruit juices saw a huge bump in prices largely due to the cost of oranges. In March, juice continued to be costly with a 12.7 per cent year-over-year increase and a 2.2 per cent difference between February 2023.

"Prices for fresh fruit increased 7.1% year over year in March, after a 10.5% gain in February," the StatCan report reads. "Prices for grapes and oranges contributed the most to the deceleration."

INFLATION SLOWING ON THESE ITEMS

Even though the prices of the majority of items in grocery stores increased or remained the same, the prices of some items are starting to drop.

Between February and March 2023, tomatoes had one of the largest price decreases, reducing 8.9 per cent . Year-over-year price increase for the product remains at 10.9 per cent.

Lettuce prices saw a reduction of 6.8 per cent month-to-month with a year-over-year difference of 8 per cent.

Ham and bacon dropped 3.6 per cent between February and March 2023, landing at a 1 per cent difference in price year-over-year. Bananas saw a reduction of 1.1 per cent with a year-over-year difference of 1 per cent.

StatCan says "other fresh fruits" (excluding apples, bananas, oranges) saw a large reduction month-to-month with a 5 per cent decrease. Yearly the products are still costly sitting at 6.7 per cent since March 2022.

"Similarly, fresh vegetable prices slowed year over year in March (+10.8%) compared with February (+13.4%), mainly driven by prices for cucumbers and celery," the report reads.