Food inflation has slowed to 1.9% in October, down from 2.3% the month before, particularly for meat, fish and tea, new figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) show, however, the trade body demanded action in the Budget to keep prices low.

According to the BRC-NielsenIQ Shop Price Index in October, food inflation also eased for chocolate and sweets “as retailers treated customers to spooky season deals,” according to the trade body’s CEO Helen Dickinson.

Fresh food inflation also decelerated in October to 1%, down from 1.5% in September, while ambient food inflation slowed to 3.1%, down from 3.3%.

Dickinson said: “Households will welcome the continued easing of price inflation, but this downward trajectory is vulnerable to ongoing geopolitical tensions, the impact of climate change on food supplies, and costs from planned and trailed Government regulation.

Subscribe to Grocery Gazette for free

Sign up here to get the latest grocery and food news each morning

“Retail is already paying more than its fair share of taxes compared to other industries. The Chancellor using tomorrow’s Budget to introduce a Retail Rates Corrector, a 20% downwards adjustment, to the business rates bills of all retail properties will allow retailers to continue to offer the best possible prices to customers while also opening shops, protecting jobs and unlocking investment.”

Meanwhile, overall shop price deflation was at 0.8% in October, down from deflation of 0.6% in the previous month, which is below the three-month average rate of -0.6%.

NielsenIQ head of retailer and business insight Mike Watkins added: “Inflation in the food supply chain continues to ease and this helped slow the upward pressure of shop price inflation in October, however other cost pressures remain.

“Consumers remain uncertain about when and where to spend and with Christmas promotions now kicking in, competition for discretionary spend will intensify in both food and non-food retailing.”