Food prices fell by 1 percent in February,, compared with January, but are up marginally on February last year.
Fruit and vegetables were cheaper, thanks to lower apple and tomato prices, and beef and lamb also cost less.
Countering these falls were increases in grocery food prices (0.1 percent) and non-alcoholic beverages (0.7 percent) because of less discounting.
Boxed chocolates were 21 percent cheaper in the lead-up to Valentine's Day, something Statistics New Zealand says happens every year.
