Research
July 15, 2026
Food Costs
Wholesale food prices held steady in June
Average wholesale food prices took a pause in June from their recent reacceleration, according to preliminary data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The Producer Price Index for All Foods – which represents the change in average prices paid to domestic producers for their output – was essentially unchanged in June. That followed three increases in the last four months, a period during which the food price index rose nearly 3%.
Although overall growth slowed in recent months, wholesale food prices remained well above their pre-pandemic levels. As of June 2026, the Producer Price Index for All Foods stood 35% above its February 2020 reading.
While the overall food price index was essentially unchanged on a 12-month basis, many individual commodities saw much larger price swings.
Producer prices for fresh vegetables (98.5%), unprocessed finfish (30.8%), fats and oils (24.3%), beef and veal (12.7%), coffee (7.8%), milk (6.4%) and soft drinks (5.2%) stood well above their June 2025 levels.
In contrast, the price indices for eggs (-83.3%), butter (-33.3%), confectionary materials (-21.8%), pork (-14.1%), processed poultry (-10.2%), refined sugar (-9.9%), milled rice (-6.0%) and cheese (-5.1%) declined from their year-ago levels.
With the direction of food costs diverging across commodities, the degree to which restaurants are experiencing pricing relief depends on the menu mix of each individual operation.
The Producer Price Index for All Foods – which represents the change in average prices paid to domestic producers for their output – was essentially unchanged in June. That followed three increases in the last four months, a period during which the food price index rose nearly 3%.
Although overall growth slowed in recent months, wholesale food prices remained well above their pre-pandemic levels. As of June 2026, the Producer Price Index for All Foods stood 35% above its February 2020 reading.
While the overall food price index was essentially unchanged on a 12-month basis, many individual commodities saw much larger price swings.
Producer prices for fresh vegetables (98.5%), unprocessed finfish (30.8%), fats and oils (24.3%), beef and veal (12.7%), coffee (7.8%), milk (6.4%) and soft drinks (5.2%) stood well above their June 2025 levels.
In contrast, the price indices for eggs (-83.3%), butter (-33.3%), confectionary materials (-21.8%), pork (-14.1%), processed poultry (-10.2%), refined sugar (-9.9%), milled rice (-6.0%) and cheese (-5.1%) declined from their year-ago levels.
With the direction of food costs diverging across commodities, the degree to which restaurants are experiencing pricing relief depends on the menu mix of each individual operation.