Food prices fell marginally in December because of seasonally lower prices for vegetables and more discounting of chocolate and soft drinks.
Photo: RNZ / Diego Opatowski
Statistics New Zealand says those falls were partly countered by higher meat and milk prices.
Overall, food prices fell 0.1% in December from November but were up 1.5% on the previous December.
Vegetable prices fell 3.7% in the month while prices of soft drinks were down 2.1% and chocolate prices are now at their lowest level since July 2008.
Prices of meat, poultry and fish were up 0.8% and prices of fresh milk rose 2.7%.