Food inflation crosses 9% in May, data on snacks and sweets held back

Statistics office also does not release retail headline inflation number

Retail food inflation touched 9.28 per cent in May, showed the official data released on Friday with a caveat that the authorities could not collect data points from all the designated shops and factories, and for all the segments. It stood at 9.69 per cent in rural areas, while 8.36 per cent in urban.

The National Statistical Office had not released food inflation for April, and hence it is difficult to compare the data.  However, the fall in the food and tobacco index in May to 151.3 points, from 151.4 points in April suggested that food inflation might have been quite