Olives Squeeze Out Luncheon Sausage
Kiwis are spending less on luncheon sausage and more on olives and fresh herbs, Stats NZ said today. As a result, the
humble sandwich filler is dropping out of the basket used to measure food price inflation.
“Shoppers will still be able to buy luncheon sausage in supermarkets, of course, but that product will no longer be one
of the items priced for the food price index, which shows how overall food prices move each month,” prices senior
manager Jason Attewell said.
Joining luncheon on the way out of the basket are milkshakes, cottage cheese, alfalfa sprouts, canned corn, taro, and
spring onions. New items going into the basket are olives, fresh herbs, and herbal teas.
“We remove items from the basket when their expenditure gets low, or because they are well represented by other items –
which is why we’ve removed spring onions and taro in this review. When new items are added to a particular section, we
can end up pricing too many things in that section,” Mr Attewell said. “We have been pricing several types of cheese.
While making for a great tasting session, there is rarely any difference in price movements between cottage cheese and
camembert.”
Stats NZ updates the food price index basket every three years, in order to make sure it reflects what households
typically spend on food. For example, in 2008, Stats NZ dropped another meaty treat – saveloys – and hummus dip was
added.
“These changes to the food price index basket reflect the changing diets and spending habits of Kiwi households,” Mr
Attewell said. “We’re often asked how we choose the items for the food price inflation basket. The answer is that we
survey people to find out what they spend their money on.”
Stats NZ prices 162 different foods each month to create the food price index.
Kiwis eating more food on the go
New Zealanders are spending relatively more on restaurant meals and takeaways, and less on grocery items, Stats NZ said
today. This shift in how we eat has been reflected in changes to New Zealand’s monthly food inflation measure, the food
price index.
See also:
ENDS