Food prices fell in the run-up to Christmas, thanks mainly to cheaper fruit, vegetables and soft drinks.
Cheaper broccoli, lettuce and tomatoes helped bring down food prices. Photo: AFP
Official figures show prices dipped by 0.2 percent in December on the previous month, the fifth month in a row they've fallen.
The main cause was a drop in the prices of fruit and vegetables, notably lettuce, tomatoes, and broccoli.
The price of soft drinks also fell sharply, reflecting supermarket discounting ahead of the holiday break.
Food price inflation for the year ended December was 1 percent.