Source  Rita Jane Gabbett, MEATINGPLACE.COM, 7/6/09

Retail food prices at the supermarket decreased slightly for the third consecutive quarter, with meat and poultry items among the leading losers, according to the latest American Farm Bureau Federation Marketbasket Survey.

The informal survey shows the total cost of 16 food items that can be used to prepare a meal was $46.29, down about 2 percent or $1.12 from the first quarter of 2009. Of the 16 items surveyed, 10 decreased, five increased and one remained the same in average price compared to the prior quarter.

Among the biggest price declines in the quarter were chicken breasts, which dropped 28 cents to $3.10 per pound and sliced deli ham, which dropped 14 cents to $4.80 per pound compared to first quarter prices.

Other items that decreased in price included: ground chuck, down 12 cents to $2.82 per pound; sirloin tip roast, down 11 cents to $3.88 per pound and bacon, down 7 cents to $3.19 per pound.

In a release, AFBF economist Jim Sartwelle noted that chicken breast and bacon prices were significantly below second quarter 2008 prices.

Overall, the average price for the marketbasket of foods declined $3.10 or about 6 percent from last year's second quarter, with chicken prices down 19 percent and bacon prices down 11 percent.

"The foods that declined the most in retail price are among the least-processed items in our marketbasket," Sartwelle said.