Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More

Video | Agriculture | Confidence | Economy | Energy | Employment | Finance | Media | Property | RBNZ | Science | SOEs | Tax | Technology | Telecoms | Tourism | Transport | Search

 

Olives Squeeze Out Luncheon Sausage

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.”

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

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 Kiwis eating more food on the go

See also:

Food price index review: 2017

Food Price Index: October 2017


ENDS


© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Business Headlines | Sci-Tech Headlines

 
GenPro: General Practices Begin Issuing Clause 14 Notices

GenPro has been copied into a rising number of Clause 14 notices issued since the NZNO lodged its Primary Practice Pay Equity Claim against General Practice employers in December 2023.More

SPADA: Screen Industry Unites For Streaming Platform Regulation & Intellectual Property Protections

In an unprecedented international collaboration, representatives of screen producing organisations from around the world have released a joint statement.More

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.