Written Answers. - Food Pricing.
Richard Bruton
Question:
50
Mr. R. Bruton
asked the
Taoiseach
if he will outline the representative list of food items whose price movements are used to compile the food element of the consumer price index; and if he has satisfied himself that this list is still representative of the average person's shopping basket.
The 50 categories of food items and the 134 constituent varieties of food priced for the compilation of the consumer price index (CPI) are listed in the following statement. This selection of varieties and the expenditure weights used are based on the results of the 1987 large scale national household budget survey. I am fully satisfied that the coverage of food in the CPI is adequately representative of the expenditure pattern of the average household.
CPI Food Item Categories and Constituent Varieties Priced
Beef:
Round steak; Sirloin steak; Rib steak (or chuck); Leg of beef (boneless); Brisket pot roast (boneless); Minced Beef.
Mutton and Lamb:
Leg (whole); Loin chops; Gigot chops; Neck; Liver.
Pork:
Leg (whole); Loin chops; Shoulder roast (boneless); Steak.
Bacon:
Best back rashers; Streaky rashers; Ham, uncooked (whole); Shoulder (whole).
Poultry:
Chicken, uncooked.
Cooked Meat:
Ham, cooked; Other cooked meat/mixture.
Sausages:
Sausages, pork.
Other Meat:
Black pudding; Tinned meat; Beefburgers.
Fresh Fish:
Whiting, fillets; Cod, cutlets; Plaice, fillets.
Frozen Fish:
Fish fingers, Fish fillets.
Dried/Cured Fish:
Fillets, smoked; Kippers, smoked.
Tinned Fish:
Salmon; Sardines.
Potatoes:
Potatoes, 3½ lb.; Potatoes, 4 stone.
Tomatoes:
Tomatoes.
Other Fresh Vegetables:
Onions; Cabbage; Cauliflower; Mushrooms; Lettuce.
Dried Vegetables:
Dried peas; Dried potatoes.
Tinned Vegetables:
Peas; Beans.
Frozen Vegetables:
Peas; Beans; Chips.
Bread:
White, sliced (800g.); White, sliced (400g.); Brown (400g.).
Flour:
White, plain; White, self-raising; Brown, wholemeal.
Biscuits:
Cream crackers; Plain biscuits; Sweet biscuits; Crispbread.
Cakes:
Fruit cake; Swiss roll; Doughnut.
Fresh milk:
Fresh milk, pasteurised — pint; Fresh milk, pasteurised — litre.
Other Milk Products:
Condensed/powdered milk; Fresh cream; Baby milk compound; Yoghurt.
Cheese:
Processed cheese; Natural cheese.
Eggs:
Large size (grade 2); Standard size (grade 4).
Butter:
Butter; Butter, spreadable.
Margarine:
Margarine, packet; Margarine, tub (soft).
Other Fats and Oils:
Cooking fat; Cooking oil.
Fresh Fruit:
Apples, cooking; Apples, eating; Oranges; Bananas; Grapefruit.
Tinned Fruit:
Tinned pears; Tinned peaches.
Dried Fruit:
Raisins, seedless; Sultanas.
Tea:
Tea, loose; Tea, bags.
Coffee:
Coffee, instant.
Cocoa:
Cocoa.
Sugar:
White, granulated.
Breakfast cereals:
Cornflakes; Wheat-based breakfast cereal.
Oatmeal:
Oatmeal.
Other Cereals:
Rice; Spaghetti.
Jellies:
Jelly.
Custard:
Custard powder.
Sauces and Meat Extracts:
Salad cream; Sauce; Meat extract; Ready mix sauces.
Soups:
Tinned soup; Dried soup.
Preserves:
Jam; Marmalade.
Sweets and Chocolate:
Box of chocolates; Sweets; Chocolate bar; Multi pack sweets.
Ice Cream:
Ice cream, block; Ice pop.
Baby Food:
Baby food (tin/jar); Baby biscuits.
Miscellaneous Food Items:
Salt; Mustard; Potato crisps (packet); Potato crisps (multi packet); Fruit juice; Pizza, frozen; Frozen meals.
Soft Drinks:
Mineral, can; Mineral large bottle; Concentrated squash; Mineral/cola, lounge bar; Bottled water.
Meals Out:
Chips, small bag; School milk; Lunch, hotel or restaurant; Dining car, rail; Canteens; Fast food meal.
