It said that since last November to May this year, the Consumer Price Index went up by 0.5 percent.

Food prices, however, went down by 0.3 percent during the first five months of this year.

Likewise, prices of non-cooked food went down by 1 percent on average.

The biggest decrease was in sugar, which saw prices drop 12 percent.

But there were price hikes in this group too.

Items that saw the biggest increase were cooking oils, non-alcoholic beverages and dairy products, which rose 3 percent.

As for cooked food in restaurants or hawker centres, prices increased marginally by 0.3 percent since the start of 2007.

A survey on hawker food conducted last month also found that fewer than 1 percent of stalls had increased prices.

The committee said it is encouraged by the findings and believes competition will continue to keep prices of hawker food stable.

It is also encouraging consumers to shop wisely and exercise their choice when making purchases, such as opting for lower cost house brands at supermarkets.